The Assam government's decision to extend the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 in four districts, namely Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, and Sivasagar, was made through a notification by the state's political department. This move was in response to a report submitted by the Assam Police highlighting an enhancement in the overall law and order situation in the state while identifying one active militant organization operating in the specified districts.
The state government's home and political department proposed the extension of the 'Disturbed Area' tag under AFSPA to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which subsequently decided to keep the 'status quo' for an additional six-month period. This decision was reached after considering the prevailing security situation in the mentioned districts, leading to the extension of the Act until September 30, 2024. The AFSPA grants security forces the authority to conduct operations and make arrests without prior warrants, also providing them with a level of immunity in case of mistaken operations.
This recent extension comes after the last extension of the Act on October 1, 2023, which lasted until March 31. Notably, during the previous extension, the AFSPA was lifted from Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong, and Dima Hasao districts. Earlier, the Act had been withdrawn from the entire state of Assam, with exceptions in nine districts and a sub-division of Cachar district dating back to April 1, 2022. Since November 1990, Assam has been classified as a 'disturbed area' under AFSPA, with successive six-month extensions being granted over the years.