The reports of withdrawal Armed Forces Special Powers Act and Disturbed Areas Act, which give extraordinary powers to security forces, from Jammu and Kashmir have given rise to a raging debate in the country. While most agree that these laws should be revoked, there are divergent views over whether this should be done is a phased manner or not. Vicky Nanjappa reports
Former Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Thursday asserted that Article 370 of the Constitution cannot be scrapped and the special status accorded to Jammu and Kashmir cannot be eroded further.
Sharmila filed her nomination on behalf of People's Resurgence and Justice Alliance.
The woman whose lone fight against the establishment all these long years has only the state machinery to keep her safe from the public whose cause she championed all this while.
Sharmila, who contested from Thoubal constituency against Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh was relegated to the fourth position.
'I have received Rs 5 lakh from the Jammu and Kashmir administration. Is that the price of my innocent son and others killed in cold blood'
Iconic rights activist Irom Sharmila on the highs and lows of her long fast, why she gave it up and her plans.
Asked whether the three men were indeed labourers, as claimed by their families, and not involved in terrorist activities, the J-K Police said it is a matter of further investigation. On July 18, the Army had claimed three terrorists were killed in Amshipura village in the higher reaches of south Kashmir's Shopian.
Though it is not appropriate to say that the law and order situation in J&K has stabilised based on one good tourist season, the development should not be ignored, says Dilip Padgaonkar. Onkar Singh reports.
The Jammu and Kashmir cabinet is unlikely to take any final call on the partial revocation of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act as proposed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, top government sources told rediff.com.
The Jammu and Kashmir cabinet is unlikely to take any final call on the partial revocation of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act as proposed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, top government sources told rediff.com.
She said she no longer believes that her fast will lead to the repeal of the 'draconian' AFSPA but she will continue the fight.
A teary-eyed rights activist Irom Sharmila, who has been on a hunger strike for 14 years, on Wednesday walked free from a make-shift prison in Imphal vowing to continue her fight for repeal of the Armed Forces Special Forces Act.
He accused the Congress of hatching a conspiracy to destabilise the country and 'demoralise' its soldiers.
Several social organisations have also been opposing the AFSPA, which empowers security personal to shoot any suspect even causing death, and demanding its withdrawal from the state for many years.
The 2 sides are trying to iron out differences over Article 370 and AFSPA.
The bench said, "He is an Army officer not an ordinary criminal. You have to see the matter in a holistic way".
Talking about the Line of Actual Control, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said as it is not completely demarcated, there are differing perceptions about it by both sides.
Armed Forces (special Powers) Act should not be revoked until the proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir is stopped and the state police machinery is able to handle the normal law and order situation. R S Chauhan reports.
The controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act may soon be withdrawn from some parts of Jammu and Kashmir as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday briefed Union Home Minister P Chidambaram about the improved security situation in the state.
Manipur's 'Iron Lady' Irom Chanu Sharmila has rejected an offer from the Aam Aadmi Party to join politics and contest this year's Lok Sabha elections.
In a warning to Pakistan, Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh on Monday said India would respond in equal measure if Pakistan breaks any rules as he revealed that 10 Pakistani soldiers had been killed in a recent military action.
Deepti Priya Mehrotra, who documented Irom Sharmila's struggle for peace in Manipur in the book Burning Bright, puts the icon's electoral loss in perspective.
Human rights activist Irom Chanu Sharmila, who has been charged with the offence of attempt to commit suicide by fasting, was on Monday released from judicial custody.
The report contains 58 case studies of alleged excesses by the armed forces in the state.
Rights activist Irom Sharmila, who is on a fast for over 13 years in Manipur demanding repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, on Wednesday told a Delhi court that she was very much eager to eat if she gets the assurance that the "draconian" Act will be revoked.
Peoples Democratic Party veteran Mufti Mohammed Sayeed was sworn-in as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir heading a coalition with BJP which, in a clear departure from its earlier stand, agreed to maintain status quo on Article 370 in the common agenda for governance.
Activist Irom Sharmila Chanu, who was on Monday charged with attempting suicide for her fast unto death here in 2006 while demanding repeal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act, said she is following Mahatma Gandhi's principle of non-violence and should not be "discriminated" against.
Pushing for partial withdrawal of controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday discounted suggestions that this will benefit terrorists, saying it is time to believe in the state police and paramilitary forces
A day after being released from jail, rights activist Irom Chanu Sharmila was on Friday arrested once again by police under the same charge of attempt to commit suicide by means of her indefinite fast.
'If it is true that we are in a moment in time when the few economic advantages we hold are being lost, our focus must be on that rather than on finger-pointing,' says Aakar Patel.
Wajahat Habibullah, chairperson, National Commission for Minorities, speaks to Kavita Chowdhury on reservation for Muslims, the RTI Act and the controversy over withdrawal of AFSPA in Kashmir.
The 'Iron Lady of Manipur' Irom Chanu Sharmila, who has been on a hunger strike since 2000 demanding repeal of Armed Forces Special Power Act, will be completing 12 years of fast on Monday.
'One of R&AW's greatest achievements is in projecting itself as benign.' 'This work -- done in tandem with the Diaspora and the MEA -- sells a story of India as mostly the victim.'
The ruling National Conference President and Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Dr Farooq Abdullah on Thursday asked his party spokesman Dr Mustaffa Kamal "to exercise restraint and follow the party policy line on all issues, particularly those pertaining to the policies of the coalition government, relationship with the Congress party, Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the role of the army".
At least five civilians were injured in yet another hand grenade explosion in south Kashmir town of Bejibehara, 45 kms from Srinagar on Wednesday afternoon.
General V K Singh, the Chief of the Army Staff, discusses the Adarsh land scam, AFSPA, China, Pakistan and more... in this exclusive interview with Kalyani Shankar.
The 44-year-old iconic rights activist, who suddenly finds herself friendless and faces a hostile response from her supporters, acknowledged that people were unhappy with her decision to break her fast and enter politics.
Barely eleven days to go, lacklustre campaigning for the coming January 28 Manipur assembly polls is at a very low ebb with candidates confining to hoisting flags at their houses and their supporters.
The year 2011 kept the troubled state of Manipur in the news over an unprecedented economic blockade imposed on the state populace by two agitating organisations for about 120 days since August 1 while the fasting anti-AFSPA crusader Irom Sharmila completed 11 years of struggle in confinement demanding withdrawal of the 'Draconian Act' that continued to remain in force in her state.
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