Four Nagas killed in Kamjong amid fresh Manipur violence, AFSPA extended for six months
Four individuals were killed in an attack near the India-Myanmar border in Manipur's Kamjong district on 25 September 2026
The incident came two days after houses and other structures were reported destroyed in Manipur's Kangpokpi district amid continuing unrest in the state
The Ministry of Home Affairs extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) across Manipur for six months from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, while excluding the jurisdiction of 13 police stations spread across the Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching districts
In a parallel notification, the Centre also renewed "disturbed area" status covering nine districts and 21 police stations across five districts of Nagaland for the same six-month period
Manipur has remained affected by ethnic and communal unrest since May 2023
AFSPA, 1958 — The "Disturbed Area" Mechanism
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 empowers the armed forces to be deployed "in aid of civil power" once an area is formally declared "disturbed." Originally enacted to deal with insurgency in the Naga Hills of undivided Assam, the Act now separately applies (in amended form) to the Northeastern states and, historically, applied to Jammu and Kashmir. Section 3 permits the Governor of a State, the Administrator of a Union Territory, or the Central Government to declare all or part of a state/UT "disturbed" by notification in the Official Gazette when the use of armed forces is considered necessary to support civil administration.
Key Details
- Enacted in 1958, originally applicable to Assam and Manipur; subsequently extended to other Northeastern states via separate/amended enactments
- A 1972 amendment empowered the Central Government to declare an area "disturbed" even without the concurrence of the state government
- Once declared, a disturbed-area notification is typically renewed every six months, subject to periodic review
- Section 4 grants armed forces personnel powers of arrest without warrant, search without warrant, and use of force (including fatal force) against persons violating prohibitory orders, subject to safeguards read into the Act by courts
The 1 October 2026 order is a routine six-month renewal cycle under Section 3, but the exclusion of 13 police station areas around Imphal shows the government calibrating the Act's territorial reach to ground conditions rather than applying it uniformly across the state.
Naga People's Movement of Human Rights v. Union of India (1997) — Constitutional Safeguards on AFSPA
A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, deciding a batch of petitions challenging AFSPA and the Assam Disturbed Areas Act, 1955, upheld the constitutional validity of AFSPA on 27 November 1997. While affirming Parliament's competence to enact the law, the Court read in significant procedural safeguards to prevent arbitrary use of the special powers.
Key Details
- The Court held that a disturbed-area declaration cannot be open-ended; it must be reviewed periodically (every six months) to assess whether the "disturbed" character of the area continues
- The power to use force under Section 4(a), including fatal force, was held to be permissible only when "definitely necessary" and only to the minimum extent required
- The judgment led the Army to formally adopt binding "Dos and Don'ts" guidelines for personnel operating under AFSPA
- The case is a standard reference point on the balance between Article 355 (Union's duty to protect states) and Part III fundamental rights protections
The mandatory six-monthly review cycle established by this 1997 judgment is the direct legal basis for the recurring extension orders issued for Manipur and Nagaland, including the current one effective 1 October 2026.
The Naga Peace Process — Framework Agreement, 2015
Parallel to the security-law track represented by AFSPA, the Government of India has pursued a separate political negotiation track to resolve the decades-old Naga insurgency. The Framework Agreement was signed on 3 August 2015 between the Government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah faction), setting out broad principles — including a form of "shared sovereignty" — intended to guide a final, comprehensive settlement.
Key Details
- Signed 3 August 2015; it is a statement of principles, not a final settlement
- Key unresolved issues include a separate Naga flag and constitution, sought by NSCN(IM) but not agreed to by the Government of India
- As of 2026, a final settlement remains pending despite continued rounds of talks
- The peace process runs on a track separate from, and does not automatically affect, the operation of AFSPA or disturbed-area notifications in Naga-inhabited districts
The Kamjong killings occurred in a border district still governed by the security-law framework (AFSPA/disturbed area status) even as the political dialogue on a final Naga settlement continues without resolution, illustrating how the legal and political tracks on Northeast insurgency have not converged.
- AFSPA enacted: 1958
- Landmark case: Naga People's Movement of Human Rights v. Union of India, decided 27 November 1997, by a 5-judge Constitution Bench
- Manipur AFSPA extension: 6 months, 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027; 13 police stations across 5 districts excluded
- Nagaland disturbed-area notification: 9 districts and 21 police stations across 5 districts, same 6-month period
- Naga Framework Agreement signed: 3 August 2015, between Government of India and NSCN(IM)
- Manipur's ethnic and communal unrest has continued since May 2023