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.
Jammu and Kashmir, chief minister, Omar Abdullah assured the state assembly on Thursday that he will repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and Disturbed Areas Act 'if the situation continued to improve' in Kashmir.
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.
Irom Sharmila, has been fasting for 9 years against a controversial law.
Abdullah, who had meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi on Monday, said he had raised the issue of withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act in a phased manner.
Vice-President Hamid Ansari, who had served as the chairman of a committee which favoured withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, on Saturday said the prime minister would take a decision on the matter.
Army Chief General V K Singh has said people asking for withdrawal or dilution of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Jammu and Kashmir are doing it for "narrow political gains".
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.
The People's Democratic Party leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Monday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take urgent steps for revoking the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and withdrawing security forces from internal security duty in the Jammu and Kashmir.
Naga splinter groups impatient with stalled talks as well as rebel Manipuri groups who have a stake in disrupting upcoming elections to the state assembly, are believed to be regrouping in the borderlands of China's Yunnan province and Myanmar, taking advantage of the turmoil in the latter by using it as a transit corridor.
Irom Sharmila with Magsaysay Award winner Sandeep Pandey.
Describing India as a "vibrant electoral democracy with an abysmal human rights record", a prominent international group on Moday urged to take steps to check rights violation by its security forces. The Human Rights Watch (HRW) also asked the country to remove all "immunity clauses" in its laws that protect abusers of human rights.
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.
'Iron Lady of Manipur' Irom Sharmila, who has been on a fast for the past eight years to demand the withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Manipur, has been re-arrested, police said on Tuesday. Sharmila, who was released on March 7 by a local court, was re-arrested on Monday on charges of attempted suicide, after she went on hunger-strike again, they said.Sharmila had begun her fast unto death in 2001.
Altogether 155 candidates are in fray for the polls in 29 Assembly constituencies spread over three valley districts of Imphal East, Imphal West and Bishnupur, official sources said.
A mother of two girls, Arambam Robita Leima said she would launch her fast-unto-death against AFSPA.
The solidarity demonstration and the fast is being organised by rights activists to attract global glare on the unabated human rights violation in the conflict zone of the Northeast by security forces empowered by the AFSPA.
Magsaysay Award winner and social activist Sandeep Pandey on Wednesday rued continued imposition of 'draconian' Armed Forces Special Powers Act and other 'black laws' in conflict-ridden north-east India and Jammu and Kashmir.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and People's Democratic Party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has linked the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and reduction in the number of deployed troops to the ongoing peace process.
The home ministry said the entire Assam, besides bordering areas of Meghalaya, have been declared 'disturbed' under the AFSPA for three months with effect from May 3.
The iconic activist has said that she won't go home till the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act is repealed.
Ruling coalition partner People's Democratic Party on Sunday sought a special Cabinet meeting to discuss demilitarisation and withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
Many people will be fasting in Imphal, Manipur from September 13 while hundreds from different countries in the world have signed the petition to fast for varying number of days (one to five) to support the 'Iron lady' from Manipur -- Irom Sharmila.
"I am optimistic of some tangible movement forward on these crucial issues in the coming days," Mufti told PDP functionaries in Srinagar.
Irom Sharmila Chanu was re-arrested on March 8, a day after she was released from the security ward of JN Hospital in Imphal for continuing her fast unto death in protest against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. Irom Sharmila was arrested at the Meira Shang near Aka Tren playground where she was protesting. The 'Iron Lady' was taken into custody under IPC Section 309 for attempting to commit suicide.
The decision to lift the curfew, imposed on the midnight of Saturday, was taken by the state government after reviewing the situation in the Valley in the day when huge deployment of security forces and sealing of entry and exit points in Srinagar foiled the march.
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.
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".
The chief minister said that the present situation was not ripe enough for withdrawal and any hasty step in this direction could be exploited by the militants that can result in loss of gains made over the years and can also lead to loss of lives.
Hundreds of protestors demanding full withdrawal of the act from the state pelted stones and destroyed a bus at Singjamei area, near Imphal.
Rediff Labs analysed the 2012 Manipur assembly election results and merged it with the 2014 Lok sabha election result to develop a Sentiment Meter for the 2017 electoral battle.
Iram Sharmila has been on fast for six year deamading the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
'Students cannot sit calmly in classrooms and study in the prevailing situation,' a joint statement issued by various student bodies said.
Patil is likely to hold discussions with representatives of the groups involved in the agitation, senior security officials and state leaders.
The protestors pelted stones at the Singjamei police station on Tuesday night.
Dr Singh said a number of assurances made by him during his previous visit to the state two years back have been kept.
The name of her party "People's Resurgence and Justice Alliance" was announced at the Johnstone Higher Secondary School in Imphal.
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