Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul><li>Polls open in states of Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh where the <keyword id="602141" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Armed-Forces-Special-Power-Act">Armed Forces Special Power Act</keyword> (<keyword id="60149" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="AFSPA">AFSPA</keyword>) is still enforced. </li><li>The controversial colonial law allows the governed to deploy armed forces in places that they believe are ‘disturbed areas’.</li><li>Congress has promised to amend AFSPA to address international concerns. </li></ul> The colonial law of Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) is still enforced in four states that will be voting today — Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. The controversial law has often been called into question for its human rights violations. But, the Indian National Congress has promised to amend the law should they come into power. <div type="ExtQuote" text="Amend the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 in order to strike a balance between the powers of security forces and the human rights of citizens and to remove immunity for enforced disappearance, sexual violence and torture." auname="Excerpt from Congress Manifesto"></div>

 Earlier this week, AFSPA was withdrawn <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/afspa-withdrawn-partially-from-arunachal-pradesh/articleshow/68687005.cms">partially</a> in the state of Arunachal Pradesh after being in force for 32 years but its still enforced in three districts — Changland, Tirap and Longing. Even Meghalaya was a AFSPA state as recently as last year until it was withdrawn <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/what-is-afspa-and-where-is-it-in-force/article23648102.ece">completely</a>. While <a href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/why-it-is-necessary-for-afspa-to-continue">supporters</a> of the act cite that AFSPA is just an ‘extraordinary measure’ in the face of ‘extraordinary situations’, critics believe that the act is being <a href="https://amnesty.org.in/news-update/indian-government-must-repeal-afspa/">misused</a> to conduct fake encounters and the sexual exploitation of women. What is AFSPA? AFSPA — enacted by the parliament in 1958 — <a href="http://nagapol.gov.in/PDF/The%20Armed%20Forces%20Special%20Powers%20Act%201958.pdf">gives</a> the central or state government the right to call in the armed forces to help the local authorities in places classified as ‘disturbed areas’. The legal immunity of the act allows security forces to arrest people, search private property, and ban the possession of firearms without warrant is as long as they at least have ‘reasonable suspicion’ that a person is about to commit a cognizable offence. For maintaining public order, AFSPA also allows armed forces to prohibit a gathering of five or more people in an area — even by force. The act itself is from the colonial days and was enacted as a reaction to the Quit India Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in 1942. The arrest of Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, VB Patel and other activists left the movement leaderless and incidents of violence erupted in different parts of the other. Viceroy Linlithgow used the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Ordinance, 1942 to control the riots. In 1947, the one ordinance was split into 4 smaller ordinances to handle violence resulting from the partition efforts — but it was also repealed within the same year. AFSPA was only brought back in 1958 for Assam and Manipur before gradually encompassing the other seven sister states of the north east as well as Jammu and Kashmir. Issues with AFSPA The argument for enacting AFSPA in India was that it is a more efficient way to handle insurgencies. The powers allotted to armed forces allows them to protect the boundaries of the country. And removing strict law from the picture allows the armed forces to carry out orders unhindered, not to mention to morale boost in bringing the rule of law to ‘disturbed areas’. But AFSPA is <a href="https://www.orfonline.org/research/43363-the-road-to-peace-in-kashmir-public-perception-of-the-contentious-afspa-and-psa/">reportedly</a> exploited by people in the armed forces as well. In the name of national security, incidents of fake encounters, sexual exploitation of women and other human rights violations have been brought to light. ‘ Activists like Irom Sharmila who went on a hunger strike for nine years to protest against AFSPA strongly believe that AFSPA overrides dozens of civil rights including the right to freedom of expression and the right to free association. That being said, if a wrong is committed by anyone in the army under AFSPA, they can be prosecuted in a court of law — but the central government needs to sanction an approval. Amnesty International’s <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/PK/DevelopmentsInKashmirJune2016ToApril2018.pdf">report</a> calling for the end of AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir cited 58 case studies where the act was allegedly used in excess by the armed forces. <div type="ExtQuote" text="In responding to demonstrations that started in July 2016, Indian security forces used excessive force that led to unlawful killings and a very high number of injuries. Civil society estimates are that 130 to 145 civilians were killed by security forces between mid-July 2016 and end of March 2018, and 16 to 20 civilians were killed by armed groups in the same period." auname="Amnesty International on the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 in Jammu and Kashmir"></div>

 Many even <a href="https://www.thequint.com/voices/opinion/would-delhi-dither-on-afspa-if-it-had-been-in-force-in-up-bihar-afspa-in-manipur-thangjam-manorama-irom-sharmila">compare</a> the AFSPA to the Rowlatt Act where the British could imprison any citizen on the basis of suspected terrorist activity against British India for up to two years without there necessarily being a trial. <div type="ExtQuote" text="The repeal of this law will not only bring domestic law more in line with international standards, but also send out a powerful message that instead of a military approach the government is committed to respect for the right to life of all people of the country." auname="Christof Heyns, the UN Special Rapporteur Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions"></div>

 The Indian Army, the organisation actually being accused of these acts, has barely come out in the open to express its stance on AFSPA. Essentially, the act is a last resort. The army is only called in once the situation is beyond the capabilities of the civil administration, the police and the central armed police forces. Congress’ promise Congress, in its election manifesto, has said that they will bring amendments to AFSPA should they win the general election. They faced heavy backlash from the opposition <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/politics/revoking-afspa-in-jammu-and-kashmir-is-like-sending-our-soldiers-to-gallows-says-pm-modi-2094245.html">saying</a> that this is an ‘anti-national’ approach and that Congress is compromising on India’s national security. 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="The government must have the power to protect its armed forces. Only then will they have the morale to fight. Revoking AFSPA would be like sending our soldiers to the gallows. I won’t let this happen." auname="Member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the current Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi"></div>

 Even Arun Jaitley, the current minister of finance and corporate affairs who aligns with the BJP, and Palaniappan Chidambaram, former union minister of finance and member of Congress, exchanged some harsh words on Twitter. <a href="https://twitter.com/PChidambaram_IN/status/1113747990714314752"> <div type="twitter" handle="arunjaitley" handlename="Chowkidar Arun Jaitley" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000828197225/f1d53aeab8f0534c7d73b0fbd5651130_normal.png" favoritecount="10332" retweetcount="4132" status="2019 Congress Manifesto is a Charter to Weaken India. After reading Congress Manifesto my worst fears have come tru… https://t.co/3yTGps3MVa" createdat="1554203974000" id="1113038257279918082"></div>

</a> <div type="twitter" handle="PChidambaram_IN" handlename="P. Chidambaram" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/603422412785328128/9Y6OuwJM_normal.jpg" favoritecount="4221" retweetcount="1432" status="Why has Mr @arunjaitley not answered the questions on withdrawal of AFSPA from Tripura (2015), Meghalaya (2018) and… https://t.co/5K4rV1ViIK" createdat="1554373188000" id="1113747990714314752"></div>

 That being said, multiple observations made different committees, like the Justice Santosh Hegde Committee and the J.S. Verma Committee, have found the AFSPA to be arbitrary and have recommended that it should be repealed. The former even explained that rather than create peace in the north east, AFSPA has widened the divide between the people living in the peripheries of India and the mainland.

A brutal military law is among the core election issues in at least 5 Indian states voting today

<keyword id="149000" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Irom-Sharmila">Irom Sharmila</keyword>, the Manipuri activist who recently <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Iron-lady-Irom-Sharmila-ends-her-16-year-long-fast-wants-to-become-Manipur-CM/articleshow/53617882.cms">ended her hunger strike </a>that was going on for last 16 years, has said that she wants people to know her as a real person. 
 
"...But I'm viewed as a strange person," Sharmila said while talking to <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Im-a-real-person-but-people-see-me-just-as-a-martyr-Irom-Sharmila/articleshow/53632013.cms">TNN</a>. 
 
Disturbed by the publicity and the 'celebrity' status that she has garnered over the years, she seems to be fed up with all rumours being spread about her. 
 
"Without my knowledge they (people) have already idolized me. Without connecting with my real being (they have idolized me). That's why my natural being can't be respected by them. This is the biggest problem," Sharmila said. 
 
She still wants the severe AFSPA rule to be lifted, the legislation that allows armed forces extraordinary powers in "disturbed" regions, which formed the very basis of her hunger strike. 
 
She added that after ending her fast, her new life is going to be a bigger struggle than when she was observing it. 
 
"My demand is this (repealing AFSPA) but their sentiment is ... they just (think) as if I've fallen in hell, I think. This very hell of politics that is, (but) all these things, between politics, politicians and public are all correlated. They don't know this, this is the problem. Respect the sacred ballot box, this (is what) will bring sense in society," Sharmila said. 
 
She now wants to take a new, political route so that her demands are met and the situation in Manipur is improved, which she accepts is going to be difficult, since it will involve changing people’s mindsets. 
 
<a href="https://www.amnesty.org.in/images/uploads/articles/Irom_Sharmila_detained_again_-_4_-wm.jpg">Image source</a>

I am a normal person, but people have started to idolize me, says Irom Sharmila

A tube is attached to her nose, from where a calculated dose of food is inserted into her stomach forcefully, in order to keep her breathing and her vital organs alive. Despite her frail structure, which has developed from this condition, <keyword id="768247" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Irom-Chanu-Sharmila">Irom Chanu Sharmila</keyword> continues to be a tough nut for the 13th successive year. The reason she is on fast is her demand that the <keyword id="44734" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-Government">Indian government</keyword> should repeal the draconian law that accords the <keyword id="3790" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Armed-forces">armed forces</keyword> absolute power in troubled areas. 
 Her picturesque state Manipur, with most friendly people and rain forests rich in timber and herbs, could have been a picture of peace if not for the simmering conflict between <keyword id="6500558" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indigenous">indigenous</keyword> people and the government. Like all other places that witness <keyword id="1952107" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Separatist-insurgency">separatist insurgency</keyword>, in which case the government tries to overpower the locals with generous use of force and laws to support it, Manipur has been the hotbed of conflicts since the last five decades, with peace being an intermittently occurring phenomenon. <keyword id="1172406" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Draconian-Laws">Draconian laws</keyword> have been revoked in Manipur ever since. 
 The incident that made Irom Chanu Sharmila both a legend and a victim of the government’s conspiracies occurred just before the new millennium completed a year. On November 2, 2000, armed forces killed 10 innocent civilians who were waiting for a bus in Malon, a town close to the capital city of <keyword id="45774" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Imphal">Imphal</keyword>. 
 Sharmila, also known as Mengoubi (a fair girl), was onto her regular fasting routine when the news trickled in. She used to go on a day-long fast every Thursday. But that Thursday was going to be historical. Protesting the killings, she continued her fast into the next day, the day after and many days following November 2. Her vital signs deteriorated and the news that she was fasting to force the government to revoke <keyword id="60149" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="AFSPA">AFSPA</keyword> (Armed Forces [Special Powers] Act). She was admitted to hospital and a <keyword id="1952110" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nasogastric-intubation">nasogastric intubation</keyword> was forced down her windpipe to keep her breathing, while under arrest. 
 Sensing trouble with the growing support to Irom Sharmila, the government charged her with ‘attempted suicide’ and ensured her days were split between hospital and legal institutions. But what had to happen transpired like droplets of water trickling into a solid rock. With her silence, resilience and consistent efforts, the frail woman had made a dent, and a solid one at that. This poetess with shy eyes and silken skin had turned into a <keyword id="235269" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="political-activist">political activist</keyword>, a human rights activist and also a fighter for <keyword id="97526" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Civil-rights">civil rights</keyword>. 
 And when she completed 500 weeks of <keyword id="1952116" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Continuous-fasting">continuous fasting</keyword>, Sharmila even overtook <keyword id="6355532" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Mahatma-Gandhi">Mahatma Gandhi</keyword>, the undisputed protagonist of the <keyword id="363965" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Indian-national-movement">Indian National Movement</keyword> and the global icon who stood for peace and non-violence, with her fasting credits. All of 41 years of age, she has been fasting for over 13 years of her life! But her struggle has never been daunted, affected or lost sheen and grit in the absence of food. She has been consistently writing letters to the Indian government and international agencies to press for the <keyword id="1952112" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Revoking-of-AFSPA">revoking of AFSPA</keyword>, which gives the <keyword id="15350" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Army">army</keyword> absolute power, which has mostly been misused to silence the voices that are demanding a separate state. 
 AFSPA, the legal provision that has turned Armed forces (read <keyword id="6362743" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Assam-Rifles">Assam Rifles</keyword>) from messiah to maniac, was framed before India became independent. The British had created this act to discourage the citizens of the country from participating in the famous <keyword id="122191" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Quit-India-movement">Quit India Movement</keyword>. But that was way back in 1942. 
 The act was modified a bit in 1958 and amended in 1972, in order to accommodate six sections that accord absolute power to the army, in areas of <keyword id="570941" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="civil-disobedience">civil disobedience</keyword>. Thus was born the monster, which only created mayhem. Armed forces, in order to ‘discipline’ the citizens who were into <keyword id="761056" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Activism">activism</keyword>, used it to snuff out lives indiscriminately, anywhere and everywhere. 
 
Having seen the bloodshed and the temporariness of life, Sharmila decided somebody had to take the lead. And she did. Much to the relief of the people of Manipur, the news travelled far and wide, and national and international organisations began to meet up with her. Her story has become a glowing reference to peaceful activism, globally. Awards soon followed – both from within the country and outside India. There is even a play written on her life that continues to touch the audience throughout the country. 
 It is a noteworthy fact that Manipur shares its border with <keyword id="6356970" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Myanmar">Myanmar</keyword> from where comes another story of <keyword id="1952115" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Political-resilience">political resilience</keyword> in the form of another soft-looking yet <keyword id="1952102" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="tough-woman-leader">tough woman leader</keyword> – <keyword id="56335" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Aung-San-Suu-Kyi">Aung San Suu Kyi</keyword>. 
 
Maybe, just maybe, it’s in the DNA of the people in this region. They are not the ones to accept a raw deal, be it from the government or the armed forces. 
 
Image: Indiatimes

Irom Chanu Sharmila –
The Iron Lady Of Manipur: 13 Years On, Her Activism Continues To Be A Legend

The Gordian knot enveloping the <keyword id="6362586" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="naga" source="Orion">Naga</keyword> peace talks could not be untied through the year gone-by, as a final agreement acceptable to all sides remained elusive with Naga rebels and the Centre agreeing to disagree on two key issues. The coming of Centre's new interlocutor for Naga Peace talks, A K <keyword id="6377546" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="mishra" source="Orion">Mishra</keyword> to Dimapur in <keyword id="50015" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="nagaland" source="Orion">Nagaland</keyword> earlier last year and holding parleys with representatives of various Naga groups and other stakeholders in an effort to resolve the vexed problem had spread hope that a solution to the decades long insurgency in the state would come as a welcome Christmas gift. Mishra met the leadership of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isac-Muivah) including veteran leader <keyword id="172954" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="th-muivah" source="Orion">Th Muivah</keyword> inside the group's headquarters in Hebron, a first in the history of such talks. A former special director of the Intelligence Bureau, Mishra succeeded the last Interlocutor and Nagaland Governor R N Ravi, who was transferred to <keyword id="20154" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="tamil-nadu" source="Orion">Tamil Nadu</keyword> as the Governor in September last year. After this, the negotiations continued in Delhi with Muivah and other leaders of the group for several rounds, but a final settlement remained elusive, as the NSCN-IM remained adamant on its demand for a separate flag and constitution for the Nagas. A demand, which till now has not favour with the Centre. However, while marking the 25th year of ceasefire with the Centre, the NSCN-IM has assured it will continue to uphold the ceasefire. The reassurance was made by the Ceasefire Monitoring Cell (CFMC) of the NSCN-IM on completion of 25 years of ceasefire agreement with the GoI entered on July 25, 1997. The Government of India has been holding separate dialogue with the NSCN-IM and the Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) since 1997 and 2017 respectively. NNPGs comprise of at least seven Naga groups. It inked the Framework Agreement with NSCN-IM in August 2015 and the Agreed Position with NNPGs in November 2017. While NNPGs have agreed to accept a solution and continue the dialogue, the NSCN-IM has been rigid on its demand for a separate flag and constitution for the Nagas. "They (Naga negotiators) have come back from Delhi and nothing is likely to happen before Christmas as talks will resume only after the festive season," Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio had said last month. On the other hand, the Centre heeded to the cry of the people of the State for removal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) 1958 from Nagaland. On March 31, the Centre announced withdrawal of AFSPA 1958 from 15 police stations in 7 districts in Nagaland with effect from April 1, which was welcomed by the State government but rejected by Naga civil societies demanding complete repeal of the Act from the State. AFSPA was imposed in the entire state of Nagaland from 1958 to curb the Naga insurgency movement. A demand from people residing in six districts supported by the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO) for a separate state – 'Frontier Nagaland' – too remained a chimera. The ENPO, an apex body of the seven tribes from the six districts – Mon, Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire, Noklak and Shamator, had started seeking a separate state from 2010 and in August this year announced a boycott of the Hornbill Festival held from December 1 to 10, to highlight the demand . SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/incred-capital-acquires-alternate-asset-advisory-firm-orowealth/articleshow/96678261.cms">InCred Capital acquires alternate asset advisory firm Orowealth</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/cardekho-logs-1600-cr-in-revenue-in-fy22-narrows-losses-by-28/articleshow/96678054.cms">CarDekho logs ₹1,600 cr in revenue in FY22, narrows losses by 28%</a>

Naga peace accord: A tale of so near, yet so far

<ul><li>Three major films – <keyword id="198679" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Haider">Haider</keyword>, Fanaa and Mission Kashmir – offer a more nuanced look at the most militarised zone in the world than Indian history books. </li><li>the New Delhi board-designed syllabus of the Indian Council of School Examinations did not mention the special status of the state of <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/kashmir" class="link-text">Jammu and Kashmir</a>, the only Muslim-majority state in <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/india" class="link-text">India</a></li></ul> In school, the New Delhi board-designed syllabus of the Indian Council of School Examinations did not mention the special status of the state of <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/kashmir" class="link-text">Jammu and Kashmir</a>, the only Muslim-majority state in <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/india" class="link-text">India</a>.There are separate Indian state boards as well. I studied under a central board. We did not learn about the circumstances under which the state joined the Indian Union, nor that Kashmir is the most militarised zone in the world in terms of the number of armed forces personnel per square km of territory. Through my school years in the 1990s, there were news stories from the state about blasts and killings and terrorists, seemingly always about violence. Did they delve into the background of the anger? I don’t know because I did not go beyond the headlines. There was a sameness and one-sidedness to them – invariably images of fire and guns and empty streets – that never invoked interest. When the television news business arrived in a big way in India, this impression was amplified – Hollywood action movie-style visuals of gunfire and explosions and people running for cover, or reporters reporting amid the silence of empty streets patrolled by army men with enormous guns strapped to their bodies. Bombast with no context. This is unsurprising, because journalists’ access to the Valley is mediated through the army, making them structurally dependent on the armed forces and predisposing them to be favourable to their perspective. When <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/narendra-modi" class="link-text">Narendra Modi</a> ran for prime minister in 2014, his Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto promised that <keyword id="405091" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Article-370">Article 370</keyword>, which spelt out the special conditions under which the province joined the Indian Union at the time of Independence, would be removed. For a populace that was, like me, mostly unaware of its content, it was easy to latch on to simplified nuggets such as the fact that Kashmir does not allow land to be sold to Indians from other states. It sounds like a concession made to a Muslim-majority state but this land restriction exists in several states in India, and is important to prevent heedless development in ecologically sensitive areas. Strange as it may sound, it is the <a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2184614/triumph-modi-propaganda-bollywood" class="link-text">Hindi film industry</a> that has taught me the little I understand about the anger in Kashmir, about the “special” powers of the armed forces stationed there and the “special” consequences they inflicted. Three Bollywood films in particular have left an impact – Haider (2014), Fanaa(2006) and Mission Kashmir (2000). There have been several indie films, extremely well-regarded, but I choose to focus on the big-budget, big star projects of the film industry because these arguably had the widest release and reach. Haider is a reworking of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, set in the “rotten state” of Kashmir in place of Denmark. The setting is much more central to the drama here than it is in Hamlet where the rottenness of Denmark was expressed only in the suspicious death of the king. Here, politics is central to Haider’s father’s disappearance from Kashmir. We never know for certain if he is alive or dead, and this, as we see in the film, is the situation that many Kashmiri families find themselves in. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 1.42857rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.35714rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"> </h3>The evocative term half-widow has arisen from this waiting without end – this is the status of Haider’s mother and many other wives who don’t know what has become of their husbands. In the uncertainty about his father (and the many fathers and brothers and sons who have been taken into custody by the forces in Kashmir and never returned), Haider (and Kashmir) is going mad. Gravediggers sing songs, they are so inured to death. Citizens hesitate to enter their own homes without a pat-down security check, they are so conditioned to being checked. Mothers beg that their sons are sent away from them because they are so afraid of losing them to the insurgency or to the limitless powers of the Indian army. Most of all, the film articulates the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) that the Indian government has imposed on the Valley, how terrifying it is when men with guns have boundless power and no one to question them. Rapes and disappearances ensue, and there is no need to answer what happened because Afspa gives you “special powers”. “Do we exist or do we not”, the film asks in a haunting choral crescendo reminding us of that original line in Hamlet, “to be or not to be”. In Fanaa (2006), a blind Kashmiri woman and a terrorist fall in love with each other during India’s Independence Day celebrations in Delhi. He is there to carry out a blast and she to dance at the national celebration: classical opposites, the nationalist and the revolutionary. After the blast, the terrorist disappears because he comes to the realisation that he would put the woman in danger because of his work. The nationalist’s blindness means she cannot locate him. Years later, fate returns him to her doorstep in Kashmir and the two reconcile briefly before she hands him over to the Indian national forces. Fanaa is nowhere near as compelling or thought-provoking as Haider, it is simply a star-crossed romance set in Kashmir. But it ends on a pointedly ambiguous note. When the couple’s son asks the mother why his father was a terrorist, she replies that he did what he thought was right. The film clearly argues that the terrorist is misguided by malevolent forces yet it refrains from making a moral call on the terrorist’s actions. Mission Kashmir (2000) is about a powerful policeman whose son dies when militants forbid doctors from treating the child. In an episode of poetic justice, the policeman kills a boy’s family in an encounter and adopts the traumatised boy. This encounter is likely carried out with the vast powers granted to Indian forces under the Afspa, certainly no questions are asked of the policeman after the encounter. But the man himself is hollowed by remorse, especially at the sight of the boy who lived. He becomes a terrorist, determined to avenge his family’s gruesome end. That classic divide is set up again, terrorist against dutiful nationalist in a land where loyalties are sharply divided. Eventually, the terrorist comes around to the Indian nation’s view, that Islamist groups are provoking young men like him to divide India. Like Haider, Mission Kashmir questions the actions of Indian forces in Kashmir, though the conclusions the two films come to are different. The policeman’s remorse suggests that the Indian state has a lot to think about and apologise for, that the unchecked power that it has granted its forces leads to <a href="https://www.scmp.com/thisweekinasia/topics/human-rights" class="link-text">human rights</a> violation that feeds the insurgency in the Valley. Haider on the other indicts the Indian state for unleashing this unapologetic, shameless military strength on the Valley. Incidentally, Mission Kashmir is made by a director who is from Kashmir himself. Haider, similarly, is written by Basharat Peer who is also a Kashmiri and has written a highly-acclaimed book on Kashmir called Curfewed Night. Both films are informed by a lived perspective of Kashmir. On August 8, 2019, when Prime Minister Modi addressed Indian citizens on Kashmir, he mentioned the prospects for films. “I urge the Hindi, Telugu and Tamil film industry to come to J&amp;K for shooting their projects,” said Modi. The Hindi film industry has long indicated that Kashmir has a special place by marketing movies filmed in the Valley, naming films using Kashmir in the title and using iconography identified as Kashmiri like the houseboat and the chinar leaf. No other Indian state has been marked as “special” like this by the Hindi film industry. There are films named after big cities like Kolkata and Mumbai and Delhi, but nothing after an entire cultural identity. Until Mission Kashmir, however, these films only did lip service to Kashmir, promoting a tourist’s view of the state, a natural “paradise” where hero and heroine fell in love. These films were not rooted in Kashmir, disengaged from its problems. Mission Kashmirnaturally is a product of its times, born out of a decade-plus of the insurgency that flared in the Valley in the late 1980s. Thereafter, as the unrest never subsided, there have been several films which offer an insider’s view of Kashmir. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 1.42857rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.35714rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"><a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3022046/indias-kashmir-move-attempt-shift-its-muslim-demographic" class="link-text">India’s Kashmir move: an attempt to shift its Muslim demographic? </a></h3>I’ll end with one of the opening sequences of Haider, where his (Hamlet’s) mother, a schoolteacher, is teaching the children of her class the meaning of home. “It is brothers and sisters and fathers and mothers. It is unselfish acts and kindly sharing and showing your loved ones you are always caring.” It is an obvious metaphor for the Indian nation and its fraught relationship with Kashmir, the parents and the estranged child. The filial bond is often invoked for India and <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/pakistan" class="link-text">Pakistan</a>– brothers separated in a bloodied moment.But there is also another metaphor here: the Indian state teaching us the history of our “home”, and our duties as citizens and how we should live like brothers and sisters at home, “unselfish acts and kindly sharing”. It brings me back to where I started, what we are taught about our home and what we are not. Every nation controls its citizenry through education and so does India. We never learned the conditions in which Kashmir joined the Indian Union, and the circumstances we created to keep it at any cost. Perhaps it is not so strange then that I learned what little I did about Kashmir from our biggest film industry. For all its commercial inclinations, its lessons feel less biased than that of the Indian state’s.

Bollywood teaches more about Kashmir than India’s schools

142 million voters go to polls today in 20 states—  here’s a look at the key issues in every state

<ul><li>On April 11, two constituencies from the state of Jammu &amp; Kashmir – Baramulla and Jammu – will go to polls. </li><li>For the state, which has been at the centre of terrorist attacks, violence by separatists, civil disobedience and protests, elections hold major significance. </li><li>The separatist mindset however continues to cloud the state’s democratic potential, directly or indirectly. </li></ul>Jammu and Kashmir, home to the world’s highest <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41432568">battleground</a>, has only six seats in the Indian Parliament, but it is almost always at the centre of the country’s political discourse. On April 11, two constituencies – Baramulla and Jammu – will go to polls. Both Baramulla and Jammu are important constituencies with over 1.3 million and 1.8 million voters respectively. For the state, which has been at the centre of terrorist attacks, violence by separatists, civil disobedience and protests, and the major point of contention between India and Pakistan, elections hold major significance. In Baramulla, colleges are shut for 7 days to ensure peaceful polling, whereas high security is in place across the state so as to avoid any violence during the elections. While Kashmiri separatists have called for <a href="https://www.thestatesman.com/elections-2019/separatists-call-boycott-lok-sabha-elections-beginning-thursday-1502744485.html">boycott of polls</a>, parties like Peoples Democratic Party and J&amp;K National Conference, have come to <a href="https://www.asianage.com/india/all-india/280319/separatists-poll-boycott-call-may-fall-flat.html">realise</a> that the boycott of polls only works in the benefit of other major parties like <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> and the Indian National Congress. The separatist mindset however continues to cloud the state’s democratic potential, directly or indirectly. On February 14, Pulwama saw one of the worst terrorist attacks in the history of the state with the death toll rising to over 40. Post the terrorist attack in Pulwama, over 100 Kashmiri separatists were <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-kashmir/more-than-100-separatists-detained-in-kashmir-raids-in-pre-election-crackdown-idUSKCN1QC070">detained </a>by the J&amp;K so that there are no anti-election campaigns. India then retaliated with the Balakot air strike, where Indian Air Force planes crossed the de facto border in Kashmir. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was captured after the air strike by the Pakistani army, which further riled up the hostility between the two countries. Pakistan had then released the Wing Commander. But for the people of Kashmir, elections mean hopefully making way for an improvement in the situation in the state. Baramulla has been subject to multiple <a href="http://risingkashmir.com/news/baramulla-faces-developmental-challenges">developmental</a> challenges and the people blame the administration for the lack of progress. The voter turnout in the Panchayat (local administration) elections in Kashmir held in December 2018 saw an average voter <a href="https://scroll.in/article/905364/a-closer-look-voter-turnout-numbers-do-not-tell-the-whole-story-of-kashmirs-panchayat-elections">turnout </a>of 74%. The manifestos of the two major political parties – INC and the BJP, both give prominence to Kashmir. However, It will be an uphill task for the BJP because neither of the regional parties are friendly with the incumbent government at the centre. The state has been under President’s rule since December 2018 (which was declared after 6 months of Governor’s rule) and now, the Assembly elections have been reportedly pushed till June 2019. This was because of the fallout in the regional alliance between the central government’s ruling party BJP and the PDP. One of the major reasons behind the fallout between the two parties was the Kathua rape incident where an eight-year old girl was raped. Two senior BJP ministers, Lal Singh and Prakash Chander Ganga had then participated in a rally that supported of the accused in the case. Further, the BJP manifesto’s promise to revoke <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/bjp-manifesto-released-for-2019-lok-sabha-elections/articleshow/68774925.cms">the special status of J&amp;K and revoke Article 35-A, </a>which confers special rights on J&amp;K residents especially in the acquisition of property and eligibility for public sector jobs, will also be an overhang on the party’s chances in the valley. However, this is not the first time BJP has promised this. In 2014, the party had put the repealing of Article 370, which gives autonomous status to the state, in its manifesto. But it still managed to gain ground in the state elections held after that. The Congress party has said in its manifesto that the two acts will not be touched while the AFSPA and Disturbed Areas Act will be reviewed. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which gives the Army the power in disturbed areas, was implemented in Kashmir in 1990 and since then, has been a point of debate in the state. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-election-2019-for-jammu-and-kashmir/articleshow/68637078.cms">Lok Sabha Election 2019 candidate list for Jammu and Kashmir</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/bjp-manifesto-released-for-2019-lok-sabha-elections/articleshow/68774925.cms">Narendra Modi's election manifesto packs larger doles and a rosy narrative</a>

Elections 2019: Democracy’s appeal is under test in the shadow of the world’s highest battleground

Even after a high turnout that was witnessed for the first time in last 28 years, <keyword id="17605" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jammu-and-kashmir">Jammu and Kashmir</keyword> failed to get a government. Eighteen days after the results to tumultuous assembly elections were declared, political parties could not cobble up together to stake a claim. This results in the state slipping into Governor’s rule and N N Vohra taking over the reins of the administration. 
 
The Governor’s rule has disappointed people at large as they were expecting a government in place. Since Omar Abdullah, who headed the NC-Congress coalition for six years declined to continue as care taker chief minister which he could have till January 18 when the term of the Assembly would end, there was no alternative but to fill the vacuum with a spell of Governor’s rule. 
 
Not only the people had voted for a change, that was reflected in results and looked forward for better governance, but people particularly in Kashmir had pinned hopes for a speedy rehabilitation process for flood victims. Kashmir had seen severe floods in September, affecting nearly a million people. A proper government was need of the hour to address their requirements. 
 However, the fractured mandate that these elections threw up temporarily blocked the road to formation of a government. Not only were the seats divided among many parties but the clear division on the communal lines also played a significant role in this delay. As Jammu preferred <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword>, this marked the beginning of the end of a fragile unity of a state that is diverse in nature. In contrast, Kashmiris have voted for all from <keyword id="42369" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="PDP">PDP</keyword> to NC and Congress. Regional aspirations must have played a role in Kashmir but not the religion. Even as people were outraged on the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru during Congress-led UPA, the Sopore constituency where from he hailed ironically returned a Congress candidate to the Assembly. 
 Out of 87-member house, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerged as the single largest party with 28 followed by BJP with 25, <keyword id="43898" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="National-Conference">National Conference</keyword> 15, Congress 12 and others seven. Both NC and Congress extended support to PDP to form the government to keep BJP away and this could be possible with the support of few independents. Reports suggested that both BJP and NC had a “failed” round of negotiations in Delhi two days after the results were declared. But both parties denied the same. 
 
For PDP, the situation turned piquant. On the one hand they maintained that they couldn’t trust NC and going with Congress, according to a PDP insider was “against the mandate of people”, but on other they had to walk on a razor’s edge to deal with BJP. 
 
Both PDP and BJP are ideologically poles apart. BJP’s integrationist agenda for Kashmir is diametrically opposite to PDP’s Self Rule. Still they had opened up back channel communication and even exchanged papers for stitching up an alliance. PDP’s patron and old hoarse of Kashmir politics Mufti Mohammad Sayeed weighed more on having BJP alliance and to give time to mature it was not his worry. By exploring this option he wants to carry along the Jammu region, which has overwhelmingly voted for BJP. “There would be a vacuum if we would go with NC or PDP as there would be zero participation in the government from Jammu as no elected member could join cabinet from the Hindu dominated belt” a senior PDP leader explained. So the motive was to seek more time to find a middle road. 
 
But Omar Abdullah’s decision to call it a day halfway prompted the Governor to recommend his rule. The talks between PDP and BJP have not been called off and BJP has not refused to discuss three crucial points of Mufti’s agenda viz resumption of dialogue with Pakistan and separatists, keeping Article 370 off the table, strengthening cross LOC CMB’s and withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from certain areas. Sources say that structured dialogue may begin next week. 
 
However, the fact is that the state is in a chaotic situation where the administration has to be manned by a few bureaucrats. The successful elections, which always are a challenge in Jammu and Kashmir, had rekindled the hope for a stable government but it worsened those prospects and a commoner in Kashmir is fuming that why political parties could not put their inherent acrimony behind and move forward to give them a government they deserved. With Governor’s rule in place, only worry now is that Delhi is not repeated in Jammu and Kashmir. No one wants a re-election in the state. 
About the author: The writer is a senior journalist and Editor of Rising Kashmir, Srinagar. 
Disclaimer: This is the author's own opinion.

A Fractured Verdict Paves Way For Governor’s Rule

<keyword id="6354495" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="kashmir">Kashmir</keyword> has been a political issue for the longest and as is with such politically charged situations, there are rumors abound. However, for a lot of us, the real timeline is either unknown or has become hazy over a period of time. So, here is a complete timeline of what has happened-bare facts of how the state of Jammu&amp;Kasmir has unraveled over the last seven decades. 
 
 
 
1947 – The British rule ended in India and the nation was divided into mainly Hindu India and Muslim-majority state of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Pakistan&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Pakistan</a>. 
 1947 – The Pakistan tribal army starts attacking the <keyword id="3744025" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="kashmir-region">Kashmir region</keyword> and the Maharaja of Kashmir signs a treaty of accession with India. War breaks out between India and Pakistan over the region. 
 1948 – India raises <keyword id="64132" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kashmir-issue">Kashmir issue</keyword> in the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=UN+Security+Council&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">UN Security Council</a>, which in Resolution 47 calls for a referendum on the status of the territory. It aslo calls on Pakistan to withdraw its troops and India to cut its military presence to a minimum. A ceasefire comes into force, but Pakistan refuses to evacuate its troops. Kashmir is for practical purposes partitioned. 
 1951 – Elections are held in the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir back accession to India. India feels that this makes a referendum <keyword id="6355835" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="UN">un</keyword>necessary. The UN and Pakistan say a referendum needs to take into account the views of voters throughout the former princely state. 
 
 
 1953 - Pro-Indian authorities arrest and dismiss Prime Minister <keyword id="293003" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sheikh-Abdullah">Sheikh Abdullah</keyword>, leader of the governing <keyword id="43898" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Conference">National Conference</keyword>, as he takes a pro-referendum stance and delays formal accession to India. A new Jammu and Kashmir government ratifies accession to India. 
 
1957 - The constitution of Indian-administrated Jammu and Kashmir defines it as part of India. 
 
 
 1950s - China gradually occupies eastern Kashmir (<keyword id="71796" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aksai-Chin">Aksai Chin</keyword>). 
 1962 – a war starts between India and China and China defeats India in a short war for control of <keyword id="3978218" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="aksai-china">Aksai China</keyword>. 
 
1963 - Pakistan cedes the Trans-Karakoram Tract of Kashmir to China. 
 
 
 
1965 - A small war between Indian and Pakistan over Kashmir starts and ends in a ceasefire and a return to the previous positions. 
 
1971-72 - Another Indo-Pakistan war ends in defeat for Pakistan and leads to the 1972 Simla Agreement.This turns the Kashmir ceasefire line into the Line of Control, pledges both sides to settle their differences through negotiations, and calls for a final settlement of the Kashmir dispute. The Agreement forms the basis of Pakistani-Indian relations thereafter. 
 
 
 
1974 - The Opposition Plebiscite Front in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir drops demand for a referendum in return for extensive autonomy in an agreement with the Indian government. Sheikh Abdullah becomes chief minister, and his political dynasty continues to dominate the National Conference and state after his death in 1982. 
 
 
 1984 - <keyword id="6354416" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Army">Indian Army</keyword> gains control over the Siachen Glacier, an area not demarcated by the Line of Control. Pakistan has been making frequent attempts to capture the area in the following decades. 
 1987 - Disputed state elections in Indian-administrated Jammu and Kashmir give a thrust to a pro-independence insurgency centred around the Jammu and <keyword id="307591" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kashmir-Liberation-Front">Kashmir Liberation Front</keyword> (<keyword id="94546" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="JKLF">JKLF</keyword>). India also accuses Pakistan of fomenting the insurgency by despatching fighters across the Line of Control, which Pakistan denies. 
 
 
 
1990 - The insurgency escalates after the Indian Army kills about 100 demonstrators at Gawakadal Bridge. Attacks and threats lead to the flight of almost all Hindus from the Kashmir Valley area of the state. India imposes Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Jammu and Kashmir. 
 
1990s - The insurgency keeps on continuing, with Kashmiri militants training in Pakistan and India deploying hundreds of thousands of troops in Jammu and Kashmir. It’s the civilians that have been facing violence by both sides. 
 
1999 - India and Pakistan go to war again after militants cross from Pakistani-administered Kashmir into the Indian-administered Kargil district. India repulses the attack, accuses Pakistan of being behind it, and breaks off relations. 
 2001-2004 - Moves to boost relations between the two countries are punctuated by continuing violence, notably an attack on the parliament of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in <keyword id="41568" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Srinagar">Srinagar</keyword> in 2001. 
 
2010 - Major protests erupt in the Kashmir Valley of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir over the summer after a demonstrator is killed by the Indian army. The protests abate in September after the government announce measures to ease tension. 
 2011 August - Chief Minister <keyword id="19464" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Omar-Abdullah">Omar Abdullah</keyword> announces an amnesty for the 1,200 young men who threw stones at security forces during the anti-government protests in the Kashmir Valley in 2010. Indian <keyword id="64385" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="State-Human-Rights-Commission">State Human Rights Commission</keyword> confirms presence of more than 2,000 unidentified bodies in unmarked graves near the Line of Control. Activists say many may be people who disappeared after being arrested by security forces. 
 
 
 2013 February - <keyword id="3978220" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="kashmiri-jaish-e-mohammed">Kashmiri Jaish-e-Mohammed</keyword> member <keyword id="165584" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mohammad-Afzal-Guru">Mohammad Afzal Guru</keyword> hanged over role in 2001 Indian parliament terror attack, prompting protests in which two young men are killed. 
 
2013 September - Prime ministers of India and Pakistan meet and agree to try reduce the number of violent incidents at their disputed border in Kashmir. 
 
2014 August - India cancels talks with Pakistan after accusing it of interfering in India's internal affairs. The decision comes after Pakistan's High Commissioner in Delhi consulted Kashmiri separatist leaders in advance of the talks. 
 During a visit to the disputed border state of Jammu and Kashmir, India's Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> accuses Pakistan of waging a proxy war against India in Kashmir. 
 
2014 October - Pakistan and India exchange strongly-worded warnings, after a flare-up of violence across their common border leaves at least 18 people dead. 
 
 
 2015 March - India's ruling <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> party is sworn into government in Indian-administered Kashmir for first time in coalition with local People's <keyword id="155982" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Democratic-Party">Democratic Party</keyword>, with the latter's <keyword id="427966" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mufti-Mohammad-Sayeed">Mufti Mohammad Sayeed</keyword> as chief minister. 
 
2015 September - Muslim separatist leaders in Indian-administered Kashmir close shops, businesses and government departments in protest at the enforcement of a colonial-era ban on eating beef. 
 
2015 November - One person dies in violent protests following a visit to Indian-administered Kashmir by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 
 
 
 2016 April - <keyword id="6375812" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mehbooba-Mufti">Mehbooba Mufti</keyword>, the leader of the People's Democratic Party (<keyword id="42369" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="PDP">PDP</keyword>), becomes the first female chief minister of Indian-administered Kashmir following the death of her father and party founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. 
 
 
 2016 July - Authorities impose an indefinite curfew in most parts of Indian-administered Kashmir after the killing of popular militant by security forces of <keyword id="2931728" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Burhan-Wani">Burhan Wani</keyword>, a popular militant and top commander of the <keyword id="50913" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hizbul-Mujahideen">Hizbul Mujahideen</keyword> group, sparks violent protests. 
 
 
 
2016 August - A curfew in most parts of Indian-administered Kashmir is lifted but schools, shops and most banks remain shut and mobile and internet services remain suspended. At least 68 civilians and two security officials have died and more than 9,000 people injured in over 50 days of violence according to official tallies. 
 
2016 September - India and Pakistan exchange a war of words after 18 Indian soldiers are killed in a raid by gunmen on URI base in Indian-administered Kashmir. 
 
2016 September - India says it has carried out "surgical strikes" against suspected militants along the de-facto border with Pakistan in Kashmir but Pakistan rejects the claims. 
 
 
 
Today: the area is still living under a tension. The civilians are still scared that either the militants or the army will cause them harm. The curfew has led to the loss of lives and business. The main source of income- tourism has been at halt since August. While the nations are still fighting over the land, the leaders have forgotten the fact that there are still people living in that heaven on earth. 
 
(image: IndiaTimes)

You Searched For "AFSPA" and got 9 results

A brutal military law is among the core election issues in at least 5 Indian states voting today

Prabhjote Gill

I am a normal person, but people have started to idolize me, says Irom Sharmila

BI India Bureau

Irom Chanu Sharmila – The Iron Lady Of Manipur: 13 Years On, Her Activism Continues To Be A Legend

Preetam Kaushik

Naga peace accord: A tale of so near, yet so far

PTI

Bollywood teaches more about Kashmir than India’s schools

SCMP

142 million voters go to polls today in 20 states— here’s a look at the key issues in every state

Dilsher

Sriram

Elections 2019: Democracy’s appeal is under test in the shadow of the world’s highest battleground

Sanchita Dash

A Fractured Verdict Paves Way For Governor’s Rule

Shujaat Bukhari

Kashmir: The Bare Facts of a region torn into pieces

HASAN BABAR

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides