The Nagaland government will soon form a
committee to look into the demand for the withdrawal of the controversial Armed
Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the state. The AFSPA renders powers to
the armed forces to detain and arrest people without a warrant in areas
designated as “disturbed” because of terrorism and insurgency.

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In a statement released on Sunday, the
government said the decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Amit Shah, the
head of Ministry of Home Affairs, and attended by Nagaland Chief Minister
Neiphiu Rio, and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma, Nagaland deputy CM
Y Patton and NPFLP leader TR Zeliang.

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The meeting was held on December 23 to
discuss the present scenario in Nagaland in the wake of widespread protests
following the killing of 14 civilians by armed forces in the border district of
Mon. According to the statement, the new committee will be chaired by the MHA’s
additional secretary for the northeast and include the chief secretary and director
general of police of Nagaland among others.

Also Read: Botched op makes Nagaland seek AFSPA repeal

Meanwhile, a court of inquiry will initiate
disciplinary proceedings against Army personnel who were directly involved in
the killing of 14 civilians in a botched anti-insurgency operation earlier this
month.

On November 20, the Nagaland assembly
unanimously adopted a resolution demanding that the Government of India repeal
the AFSPA from the region. Moving the resolution, Rio said for the last 20
years the state government has been recommending that the controversial Act be
removed and Nagaland taken off the list of areas declared “disturbed
areas.”

Also Read: Botched op and local rage: All you need to know about Nagaland killings

On December 8, 14 civilians, who were
returning from a nearby coalfield in a truck, were attacked and killed in a
mistaken ambush by the armed forces. The Army later in a statement said they
were carrying out an anti-insurgency hunt in the jungle based on credible
intelligence inputs.