Irom Sharmila, who has been on fast close to 11 years to demand the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act(AFSPA) in Manipur, feels Anna Hazare's campaign against corruption is "somewhat artificial."
Amid raging controversy over the issue of partial withdrawal of AFSPA, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said there was ample opportunity to address the concerns of the armed forces and still go ahead with the proposed plan.
Terming the situation in Jammu and Kashmir as "alarming", Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani said the state administration had "completely collapsed" and the United Progressive Alliance government was about to "capitulate" before Pakistan- supported secessionists.
The name of her party "People's Resurgence and Justice Alliance" was announced at the Johnstone Higher Secondary School in Imphal.
On the occasion of her breaking the world's longest hunger strike, Rediff.com reproduces this 2011 feature on the activist and her life.
She also asked them to differentiate between stone-pelters/militants and their families.
The Finance Minister and senior party leader Arun Jaitley said the Congress does not deserve "even a single vote" for its promises, such as doing away with sedition law.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has sought sanction from the Centre for the prosecution of armymen under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in 41 cases of human rights violation in the state. "The Jammu and Kashmir home department has sought sanction from the central government for the prosecution of army personnel under AFSPA in 41 cases since 1990," a senior army officer of Northern Command told PTI. A total of 41 cases have been received by the central government.
"There is scope of reduction of troops is the Home Ministry's view. There are more than adequate forces in Kashmir and it can do with less central forces," Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said.
LJP supremo Ramvilas Paswan on Thursday said he favoured autonomy for Kashmir and withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the region.
Stating that the only path for lasting peace and prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir was that of dialogue and discussion, Dr Singh said that the government was ready for dialogue with anybody or any group that does not espouse or practice violence.
Ahead of a crucial meeting of the Centre on Kashmir, state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister A K Antony to seek their support on the partial withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from the state. Sources said Omar had met Mukherjee late on Wednesday night at the latter's residence for about half-an-hour, during which the chief minister presented his case for withdrawal of the AFSPA.
Sharmila will contest from Thoubal seat, convenor of her party People's Resurgence and Justice Alliance Erendro Leichonbam, said.
Notwithstanding opposition from the Army and faced with reports of fake encounters, the government is planning to go ahead with certain amendments in the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which includes handing over of an Army personnel in case of extra-judicial killings to the state authorities.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met in New Delhi on Monday to discuss a package for Jammu and Kashmir hit by a fresh bout of violence since Eid last Saturday.
Without pointing to any political party or organisation, he alleged that some vested elements were hell-bent upon creating an atmosphere of mistrust against Army and advocating revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act and recalling army back to barracks.
The Centre will look into the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and consider "every essential aspect", Home Minister P Chidambaram said on Friday while making it clear that maintenance of law and order will be the primary responsibility of the Jammu and Kashmir government.
"One was 'AP' and the other was 'Fam'. 'AP' stands for Ahmed Patel and 'Fam' stands for family. Have you heard of Ahmed Patel? Which family is he close to?" Modi asked the crowd at a rally in Dehradun.
'If the government cannot deliver the goods for the tribal people, then definitely they will lose faith in the BJP.'
Irom Sharmila with Magsaysay Award winner Sandeep Pandey.
Social activist Irom Chanu Sharmila was on Friday forcibly taken away by the police from a small makeshift shelter outside the government-run hospital in Imphal where she was continuing her fast after being released from jail on Wednesday.
She also underlined that 'black laws' like AFSPA would be repealed from the state only when the situation improves.
'It is a very hard won situation that the army has brought about in J&K in 25 years, we don't want to fritter it away...' 'By 2010-2012 the terrorist strength had come down to 300, 400. From a high of 3,000 to 4,000 to 300 to 400 was no mean achievement for the army,' says Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retd).
"I am optimistic of some tangible movement forward on these crucial issues in the coming days," Mufti told PDP functionaries in Srinagar.
A US-based human rights watchdog has urged the Indian government to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in force in Jammu and Kashmir and the north-east, alleging that it provides "impunity" for abuses and "fuels militancy".
'Abrogation of Article 370 is not legal because it is the legal basis of Kashmir's accession to India.'
On July 30, the CBI informed the apex court that its had filed two chargesheets before the competent court in connection with the cases.
With his claim that some ministers in Jammu and Kashmir were paid to buy stability, former Army chief V K Singh has opened a "can of worms" and has undermined the legitimacy of successive governments in the state since 1947, moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said.
In this winter of discontent, in every procession, in every demonstration, in every protest -- from Jawaharlal Nehru University to Jamia to Shaheen Bagh to the streets of Mumbai -- the front rows have been occupied by women. It's been weeks since women have been sitting in protest across the country against the newly-introduced Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens. The protests are a nerve centre of unwavering voices against what has been perceived as a discriminatory law. The women -- some housewives, some students with hijabs covering their hair, and others in full-length burqa robes -- are rallying against the 'Man' in what could also be perceived as a revolution for the 'weaker sex' in India.
Normal life in Kashmir was partially affected due to a strike called by moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference to protest the army's decision to close the Pathribal fake encounter case.
The 32 organisations spearheading a stir demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Forces Act in the state have asked the Manipuris to boycott cold drinks and packaged drinking water mineral water in the first phase.
BJP deputy chief minister's post is expected to be given to state party leader Nirmal Singh
The 32 organisations spearheading the stir against AFSPA have separately called a 14-hour Manipur valley bandh.
'The present government's greatest weakness is its intolerance. Tolerance is the key tenet of democracy. How can any government stop someone from speaking one's mind?'
In first signs of ending the over a month-long impasse with regard to government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ram Madhav on Wednesday held formal talks with Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti during a brief visit in Srinagar.
"The villagers came first, and then the Naxalites, dressed in black. They were some 300 Naxalites, all wearing black," a jawan of the Central Reserve Police Force said.
'The problem here is not that one community's deity has suddenly become another community's meal.' 'Hindus and Muslims have been peacefully coexisting with their cows for centuries now.' 'The problem here is that a section of Indians has been suddenly made to realise that it makes great political sense to degrade each one of the 170 million Muslims to a potential cow-killer, lynch a few of them to keep the heat on, polarise and win elections.'
Minister of State Kiren Rijiju, who looks after the northeast division in the home ministry, seems to have been bypassed in recent decision to declare entire Nagaland as 'disturbed area' under the AFSPA with clear indications emerging of his unhappiness.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday made it clear that reduction of footprints of security forces and phased withdrawal only needs a "courageous statesman" and not referendum.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and Peoples Democratic Party are "trying hard" to find a common ground on issues like Article 370 and Armed Forces Special Powers Act on which the two parties have traditionally held different views, a senior leader of BJP said on Saturday.
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