Sarma: Barring 6 dists, want AFSPA to go from Assam

Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the state government was considering making the state AFSPA-free, except six upper Assam districts bordering Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, and also appealed to Ulfa(I) chief Paresh Baruah to join the peace process for the sake of the state’s development.
Speaking at a function where the state government gave one-time financial support to former cadres of different militant organisations here, Sarma said, “Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has been removed from 65% of the state’s geographical area with the return of peace. Withdrawal of the Act from entire Karbi Anglong district and Lakhipur sub-division in Cachar district is under consideration of the government, after which only barring the six districts in upper Assam, the state will be free from AFSPA.”
The six districts in upper Assam are Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat and Golaghat. Apart from these six districts, at present the Act is also in force in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao and one sub-division (Lakhipur) in Cachar district for six more months.
Sarma added, “I wish that one day like today, we would be taking forward the peace process with Ulfa (I). I once again appeal to Paresh Baruah that it is not through bloodshed but peace and dialogues that we can re-build Assam and greater Assamese society.”
Sarma said in his appeal to Baruah, “We can solve all our problems through dialogue.”
The state government removed AFSPA from West Karbi Anglong district on October 20.