Centre and State to Review AFSPA Scope in Manipur

• The Centre and Manipur government are set to review the scope of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Manipur due to ongoing ethnic violence.
• The six-month extension of the AFSPA in Manipur ends on September 30.
• The Union government and the State have differing views on the inclusion of more areas under the AFSPA.
• The Act was gradually withdrawn from all valley districts from 2022 due to a “significant improvement” in security.
• The absence of the AFSPA in valley districts makes it difficult for the armed forces to operate smoothly.
• State government officials maintain that the situation is not like what existed in the 1990s, with police making arrests.
• Ethnic violence between the tribal Kuki-Zo and the Meitei people has resulted in at least 237 deaths.
• The ethnic violence is believed to have helped insurgent groups gain a foothold in the region, advocating for the secession of Manipur.