AFSPA extended in Manipur amid worsening law and order

The Union home ministry on Friday extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in Manipur for another six months, covering the entire state except the jurisdiction of 13 police stations.

The extension, effective from 1 October, comes against the backdrop of continuing violence in the state despite repeated assurances of peace — including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s much-delayed (and very brief) visit earlier this month, which came nearly two years after ethnic clashes between Meiteis and Kukis first erupted.

The AFSPA declaration, which allows the armed forces sweeping powers to search, arrest and even open fire in “disturbed areas,” has also been extended to nine districts in Nagaland and to 21 police station areas spread across five other districts. In Arunachal Pradesh, the law will remain in force in Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts, as well as three police station areas of Namsai district bordering Assam.

For Manipur, the notification stated: “A further review of the law and order situation in the state of Manipur has been undertaken. Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 … the entire State of Manipur, excluding the areas falling under the jurisdiction of the following 13 Police Stations of 5 districts, is declared as ‘disturbed area’ for a period of six months with effect from 01.10.2025, unless withdrawn earlier.”

The 13 police stations exempted from AFSPA include Imphal, Lamphal, City, Singjamei, Patsoi and Wangoi in Imphal West district; Porompat, Heingang and Irilbung in Imphal East; Thoubal in Thoubal district; Bishnupur and Nambol in Bishnupur; and Kakching in Kakching district.

Modi in Manipur: What he said — and what he didn’t

Manipur has been under President’s Rule since 13 February, after chief minister N. Biren Singh resigned following ethnic clashes that began in May 2023 and have since claimed more than 260 lives. Once hailed as a tentative “success story” for partially lifting AFSPA in 2022 after nearly two decades of continuous enforcement, the state has now seen the law’s return in full force, reflecting the deterioration of ground realities.

The prime minister’s eventual trip to Manipur was intended to signal political resolve and reassure the conflict-hit state. Yet the timing and duration of the visit — delayed for close to two years after the violence first broke out — left many residents sceptical. And as the current extension of AFSPA demonstrates, the promised reconciliation has remained elusive, with bloodshed and displacement continuing even after Modi’s intervention.

Critics of AFSPA argue that the law has long been a blunt instrument, enabling excesses without accountability, while doing little to address the root causes of unrest. Its reimposition across almost all of Manipur, even after the prime minister’s belated involvement, raises questions about a strategy which seems to rest too heavily on military containment at the cost of genuine political resolution.

With ethnic divisions still unresolved and trust between communities eroded, the extension of AFSPA may offer the security establishment some breathing space — but for ordinary Manipuris, it also signals that the path to normalcy remains as distant as ever.

With PTI inputs