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New Delhi. The Center has constituted a high-level committee to look into the possibility of scrapping the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which has been in force in Nagaland for decades, with a view to defuse tension in Nagaland after 14 people were killed in firing. The officers provided this information. Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner Vivek Joshi will head the five-member committee, while Piyush Goyal, Additional Secretary in the Union Home Ministry, will be the member secretary of the committee. The other members of the committee are the Chief Secretary and DGP of Nagaland and the DGP of Assam Rifles, a government official said.
The committee has been constituted three days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting with Nagaland and Assam Chief Ministers Neiphiu Rio and Himanta Biswa Sarma respectively. Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton and former Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang were also present in the meeting held in New Delhi on 23 December. The committee will submit its report in 45 days. The committee will look into the possibility of repeal of AFSPA in Nagaland, where the law has been in force for decades. The decision will be taken on the basis of the recommendations of the committee.
Officials said disciplinary action is also likely to be taken against army personnel who were directly involved in an anti-insurgency operation in Nagaland’s Mon district in early December after a fair investigation. Army personnel can be suspended pending investigation. Protests are being held in several districts of Nagaland for the withdrawal of AFSPA after an army contingent opened fire in Mon district, killing 14.
An official said that the decision to constitute the high-level committee was taken in a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on December 23. Earlier, the Nagaland Chief Minister tweeted on Sunday, “Meeting was held in New Delhi on 23rd December under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister. I am grateful to Amit Shah ji for taking the matter seriously. The state government appeals to all sections to maintain a peaceful atmosphere.”
‘Court of inquiry’ may start against military unit and personnel
Another official said that disciplinary proceedings, possibly a ‘court of inquiry’, would be initiated against the military unit and personnel directly involved in the Mon district incident and immediate action would be taken based on a fair investigation. The Nagaland government will give government jobs to the families of 14 people killed in the incident.
Amit Shah had expressed regret in Parliament on the incident of death of 14 people.
Expressing regret over the incident of killing of 14 people in Nagaland firing by security forces, the Union Home Minister had told Parliament on December 6 that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe it in detail. Has been asked to complete the investigation inside. Giving details of the incident, Shah had said that on December 4, the Indian Army received information about the movement of militants in Nagaland’s Mon district and its team of 21 Para commandos waited.
He said that in the evening a vehicle reached the place and the armed forces signaled it to stop, but it did not stop and started overtaking. Shah said that the vehicle was fired upon suspecting it to be of militants. Shah had said that it was later found to be a case of mistaken identity.
