ITANAGAR/ SHILLONG: The Centre's decision to withdraw AFSPA from Meghalaya and parts of Arunachal Pradesh has evoked mixed response from the political parties of the two states.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the ruling BJP maintained a cautious stance on the issue, while the Congress sought total withdrawal of the "draconian law" from the state.
The areas of the state that come under the controversial Act have been reduced from 16 police stations, bordering Assam, to eight police stations, besides Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts.
State Congress president Takam Sanjoy said the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which empowers security forces to conduct operations and arrest individuals without prior notice, is "not relevant" in a peaceful state like Arunachal Pradesh.
"When the Centre can lift the Act from (entire) Meghalaya, why not in Arunachal Pradesh? There are no records of terrorist activities in the state over the past several years.
There are other laws to deal with such activities and AFSPA would only jeopardise public peace," he claimed.
Sanjoy alleged that the Home Ministry has "arbitrarily extended" the provisions of the Act at a time when Naga rebel groups are engaged in peace talks.
The ruling BJP, however, said the Centre should "study the ground situation" in the state and, if permissible, should repeal the Act to ensure peace in the region.
The AFSPA was necessitated in 16 police station areas, bordering Assam, and three districts of the state, bordering Myanmar, because a few insurgents had tried to take refuge in Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Pema Khandu told PTI.
The constant efforts of security forces and comprehensive plans of the Union Home Ministry, and the state police has drastically improved the law and order situation in the last couple of years, he said.
State BJP president Tapir Gao said, if the Union government deems fit to revoke the Act, then it will be for the "greater good".
Kahfa Bengia, the chief of People's Party of Arunachal, said the eight police stations areas need not come under AFSPA as there were no reports of militant activities from these regions in a very long time.
"The Home Ministry should make sure its decisions do not affect the people of the state," Bengia asserted.
In Meghalaya, the Union government's move was unanimously welcomed by political parties, students' organisations and church leaders.
James K Sangma, the state's home minister, said he was grateful to the Union government for considering Meghalaya's request to revoke the Act from the state.
"We are thankful to the Centre for responding to Meghalaya government's request for denotification of AFSPA in the Garo Hills areas, adjoining Assam," Sangma told PTI.
Militancy has been "by and large contained" in the state and this was made possible by the Meghalaya police, he said.
Lauding the Centre's move, the Congress credited the erstwhile Mukul Sangma-led government for it.
"Imposition of AFSPA has lots of demerits in a state like Meghalaya as it has often been seen that language barrier led to atrocities here. This was the reason why former chief minister Mukul Sangma did not allow the Army to take up operations in the Garo Hills," Congress spokesperson Zenith Sangma said.
Mukul Sangma focused on raising Special Force-10, the state's own anti-insurgency force, to bring peace in the state, he said.
The Meghalaya chapter of North East Students Organisation (NESO), on the other hand, demanded the revocation of the "controversial law" from the other states of the region as well.
"The NESO welcomes the decision of Ministry of Home Affairs to revoke AFSPA from Meghalaya. In fact, we want the Act to be removed from all northeastern states where it is in force at the moment," its chairman Samuel B Jyrwa told PTI.
Jyrwa alleged that AFSPA has failed miserably in containing militant activities and has only led to human rights violations by the armed forces.
Echoing similar sentiments, former church leader P B M Basaiawmoit said the people of northeast can rejoice together once the Act is repealed from other states in the region.
"People will be happy if the draconian law is totally removed from India's statute books. No one will be considered as the enemy of the State," he said.