Mainstream WeeklyIntroduction:
The Armed Forces Special Powers Act of 1958 has been the most controversial component of the internal security apparatus in postcolonial India. In this essay we explore the application of this act with regard to its prolonged use in the state of Manipur, marked by profound ethnic diversity and a long history of armed movements. Although this was ostensibly a temporary provision for the restoration of public order, the continued enforcement of the AFSPA, particularly its selective application in the hill districts, raises critical questions about human rights, differential citizenship, and unequal provision of state security. There is a significant paradox in the situation, because most armed groups in the hill districts are part of either under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) or ceasefire arrangements, yet the territories they inhabit remain under this extraordinary legal regime.
In the aftermath of the Meitei-Kuki violence in Manipur, the partial withdrawal and partial inforcement of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in some districts reveals the ethnic dimension of its imposition. We believe that the asymmetric application of the AFSPA, as evident from the partial de-notification in the Imphal Valley and its continued enforcement in the tribal-dominated hill districts, is a reflection of deep-seated structural inequalities between hill-valley districts. The selective imposition of the AFSPA in the hill districts is not wholly driven by security imperatives; rather, it is a symptom of political power and control over state institutions by valley political elites at the expense of the marginalized hill communities. The continuous imposition and partial withdrawal of the Act have been essentially politicized and ethnicized, making it counterproductive to people’s sustainable peace and security. Thus, its asymmetric application in the hill districts fuel tribal grievances towards the valley, thereby making the ongoing ethnic violence protected without any substantial