Imphal, May 22: With the State Government lifting the Disturbed Area Act from the Imphal Municipality Area following the mass uprising in 2004, which effectively rendered the Armed Forces Special Powers Act toothless in the said areas, the Assam Rifles and Army authorities have reportedly started piling up the pressure on the State Government to re-impose the Disturbed Area tag and pave the way for AFSPA to come back.

The Disturbed Area Act was lifted in 2004 after the mass public uprising following the custodial death of Th Manorama.

Speaking to The Sangai Express a reliable source informed that the Assam Rifles authority had earlier asked the State Government to detail the State police for security to AR men while they pass through Imphal areas.

With AFSPA no longer imposed in Imphal Municipality areas, the Assam Rifles authority had asked the State Government to provide security cover to their men while they pass through the capital city as well as to detail policemen to sanitise the areas where the AR men are to pass through, said the source.

However the State Government or the State Police Department is yet to reply to the submissions of the Assam Rifles.

In fact so keen are the authorities of the Central security forces that they have even mooted the suggestions of reimposing AFSPA in the Imphal Municipal areas during high level security meetings convened by the State Government, said the source.

Officers of the security forces have been repeatedly pointing out that militant activities have gone up in the capital ever since AFSPA was removed, added the source.

However on the other hand the State Police Department has been maintaining that militant activities have been curbed to a large extent in Imphal areas despite the revocation of AFSPA.

This feed back from the police has been highlighted at many security meetings.

Examples have also been furnished by the Police Department to give credence to their stand, informed the source further.

The Assam Rifles and Army authorities had also deposed before the Justice Reddy Commission that it would be in the wrong interest of the Nation to revoke AFSPA from the North East region during the hearing conducted by the panel.

The Army had also piled up the pressure not to lift AFSPA so as to enable the security personnel to discharge their duties diligently.

The Justice Reddy Commission in its recommendations to New Delhi had proposed the scrapping of AFSPA and to instead incorporate some of its provisions in the Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act.

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