-EPW With laws like the AFSPA, when will truth and justice prevail in Jammu and Kashmir? Like all Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) chief ministers after the dreadful years of president’s rule from 1990 to 1996, Omar Abdullah too stands discredited, especially in the wake of the 2010 uprising of the “stone pelters” which was later brutally suppressed. A widely held opinion in the Kashmir Valley is that the chief minister, whether of...
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Manipur government has to wrest authority back from armed thugs by Abheek Barman
Here in Delhi, you can buy a litre of petrol for a little less than Rs 69. A cylinder of cooking gas costsRs 405. But there's one state capital where petrol costs Rs 200 a litre and gas a staggeringRs 2,000 a cylinder. That city is Imphal, the capital of our easternmost state, Manipur. Since August 1, the state has been hostage to a withering siege: a blockage of two...
More »What Is The Real Goal Of The Anna Movement? by Rohini Hensman
Many people including members of Team Anna have expressed reservations about the way in which their campaign has been developing, and some have even resigned. This raises questions about the real aim of the leadership around Anna. Is it really what it is proclaimed to be? Is the aim to get the Jan Lokpal Bill passed by parliament? Team Anna has repeatedly stated that they have just a one-point agenda: to get...
More »Can’t have islands of peace, Army counters Omar on scrapping AFSPA by Arun Sharma
The Army today opposed any move to withdraw the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from peaceful areas in Jammu and Kashmir, arguing that the current lull in violence could be deceptive. “There cannot be islands of peace,” senior army commanders were said to have argued at the Unified Command HQ meeting today. If Srinagar and Budgam are peaceful, it does not mean they can be separated from the larger situation...
More »Special powers to act and evade by Muzamil Jaleel
When Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced the withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from certain areas areas in Jammu and Kashmir, it was a political move with many objectives. The government, however, had to put the plan on hold. Though the Home Ministry has been in favour of a withdrawal, the plan came under severe criticism from the Army, which argued that a withdrawal, even if partial, would hamper...
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