The government is trying to withdraw the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act completely from the northeast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday. Addressing the ‘Peace, Unity and Development Rally’ at Diphu in Assam, Modi claimed that the AFSPA has been revoked from many areas of northeast during the last eight years due to peace and better law and order conditions.
"As the (law and order) situation improved with 75 per cent decrease in violence in the region, there have been changes in the imposition of laws. The AFSPA was first revoked in Tripura and then in Meghalaya," Modi said. "The Act is applicable in some areas of Nagaland and Manipur, and we are working speedily to revoke it completely," he further said.
The prime minister claimed that since 2014 a lot of developmental activities have been carried out in the region. He recalled last year’s inclusion of many organizations from Karbi Anglong in the peace and development process and claimed that the Bodo Accord in 2020 opened doors for permanent peace in the region.
“The Bodo Agreement in 2020 paved the way for peace in the region and in Tripura, the NLFT also came forward for the peace, while the two-and-a-half decade long Bru-Reang issue was resolved," he said.
The prime minister said that the ‘double engine’ government is working with the spirit of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas'. “Today this resolve has been reinforced on this land of Karbi Anglong. The work of carrying out the agreement which was signed for the permanent peace and rapid development of Assam is going on at a brisk pace,” he said.
During the programme, the prime minister laid the foundation stone for a veterinary college in Diphu, and a degree college and agricultural college in West Karbi Anglong. According to a government release, these projects worth more than Rs 500 crore, will bring new opportunities for skilling and employment in the region. Modi also laid the foundation stone for more than 2950 Amrit Sarovar projects.
