March 28, 2024 21:08 (IST)
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Comments on our electoral, legal processes completely unacceptable: India on US' remarks over Kejriwal arrest | Delhi High Court rejects PIL seeking removal of Arvind Kejriwal as CM | MHA extends AFSPA in 3 districts of Arunachal Pradesh for 6 months | Encourage fair, transparent and legal process: US comments again on Kejriwal's arrest | India and China discuss border disengagement: EAM

Promises and Dilemmas

On August 3, 2016, Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre (CPN-Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal was elected as the new Prime Minister of Nepal after garnering 63.35 per cent of votes in Parliament. Out of 595 lawmakers, 573 cast their votes in the poll, of which 363 were in Dahal's favour. Dahal was backed by the largest party in the House, Nepali Congress (NC), constituents of the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF), the Federal Alliance, and some fringe parties. 210 lawmakers, including those of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal (RPP-N) voted against the Maoist leader. This is Dahal's second stint as Prime Minister; he led the Government after the first Constituent Assembly (CA) elections from August 18, 2008, to May 25, 2009.

Assam: Remaining Sparks

In one of the worst terrorist attack on the civilians in the recent history of Assam, terrorists of the I.K. Songbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-IKS) opened indiscriminate fire at a crowded weekly market, Balajan Tiniali Weekly (Friday) Market in Kokrajhar District on August 5, 2016, killing 14 persons, including two women, and injuring another 20. According to eyewitnesses, there were four to five terrorists in military fatigues, armed with sophisticated weapons, who fired at the crowd in the market at around 11.30 am. The terrorists also lobbed grenades at shops, destroying at least six. Personnel of the 3rd Rajput Regiment based in Kokrajhar, who were passing through the market, started retaliatory firing, killing one terrorist, while the others managed to escape. One AK-57, 2 magazines, one grenade, 47 rounds of ammunition, 3 bags with clothes, one mobile and 2 SIM cards were recovered from the spot.

Estranged Partners

On July 24, 2016, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned from his post after spending 287 days in Singha Durbar (Lion's Palace), the seat of Nepal's Government minutes before Parliament was to vote on a no confidence motion he was likely to lose. Addressing the Parliament on the no-confidence motion, Oli rued, "The game for a change in the Government at this time is mysterious."

Chhattisgarh: Dwindling Maoists

On July 16, 2016, at least four Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres were killed in an encounter with Security Force (SF) personnel in the forests of Bijapur District. SFs recovered four bodies along with rifles, pipe bombs and other supplies during an area search operation. Commenting on the operation, Bastar Range Inspector General of Police (IGP) S.R.P. Kalluri disclosed that a joint force led by Laxman Kewat, Inspector-in-Charge Awapalli Police Station and Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) Commander Ashok Kumar carried out the encounter in the forests of Pamed in Bijapur District.

J&K: Political Defalcation

In a major operational success, Security Forces (SFs) eliminated a top 'commander' of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Burhan Wani, along with two associates, in a shootout in the Kokernag area of Anantnag District in the evening of July 8, 2016. Wani, according to media reports, had joined militancy in 2010, and carried a reward of INR one million on his head.

Radical Escalation

The July 2, 2016, hostage crisis and slaughter at the Holey Artisan restaurant in upscale Gulshan, Dhaka, was unprecedented in its character and scale in the history of terrorism in Bangladesh. It reflects an abrupt escalation of the challenge for the state apparatus and raises complex questions of counter-terrorist (CT) responses in the past, and of future imperatives.

Glut of Drugs

On June 22, 2016, the Sargodha District Police of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) claimed to have arrested sixteen drugs dealers, recovering narcotics and illegal weapons. A Police spokesman disclosed that during a continued drive against drug pushers and criminals, special teams of different Police Stations conducted raids within their jurisdictions and arrested the 16 accused, recovering over 2.5 kilograms of hashish, 1.5 kilos of heroin, 10,000 bottles of liquor, six 30 bore Pistols, two .32 bore Revolvers, one Kalashnikov rifle, and one Carbine, along with bullets and cartridges.

Ahmadi Apartheid

The Ordinance promulgated by the President (of Pakistan) on April 26, 1984, goes a long way in accepting the most extreme demands and transforms much of the daily life of the Community into a criminal offence. -Yohanan Friedman, Prophecy Continuous (1989)

Meghalaya: Surrender Saga

On June 9, 2016, 68 cadres of the United Achik Liberation Army (UALA) led by its 'chairman' Novembirth Marak bade farewell to arms in an official disbanding ceremony held at the SMELC Building at Dakopgre in the Tura area of West Garo Hills District. "I appeal to other outfits to accept the call of the government, join the mainstream and work for the welfare of the Garo society," Marak stated after the surrender. He also claimed that he had tried to convince at least five other outfits to come together and join the mainstream under the banner of A'chik Revolutionary Front (ARF), but the plan failed to materialize.

Peripheral Consolidation

Amidst surge in violence and talks with the Afghan Taliban hitting a roadblock, the Afghan Government signed a draft peace agreement with the Hezb-e-Islami (HeI) led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar on May 18, 2016. The draft agreement was signed by HeI representatives and High Peace Council (HPC) officials in the residence of Pir (revered religious instructor, usually of Sufi orientation) Syed Ahmad Gilani. HeI has agreed to have no links with anti-Government armed militant groups.

Are we really serious about getting them back

However difficult it seems, crimes related to missing children and child trafficking can be prevented. To achieve this, the most important step is to strengthen the existing safety-net for protection of children, and also to bring forth an overall protective environment for them, argues Atindra Nath Das

Myanmar: Border Perils

The Myanmar operation will leave behind no lasting legacy beyond the sorry spectacle of people in high office claiming undeserved victories, seeking undeserved honours. This was a relatively minor operation, and will have only transient tactical and psychological significance. An operational success has been imposed, and the rebels, who have till now had almost undisturbed sanctuary in Myanmar, will lose their sense of impunity. Over time, however, they will adapt and draw deeper into the jungles and take fuller precautions against discovery and neutralization, unless the present operation is followed up by a more sustained and enveloping campaign.

War without End

On April 13, 2016, at least seven policemen and four 'criminals' were killed in an exchange of fire in the Kacha (riverbed) area of the Indus River between Districts of Rajanpur and Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab Province. While eight 'criminals' who sustained injuries managed to escape, 22 policemen were taken hostage by the 'criminals'. On April 14 four injured policemen were released but the remaining 18 were still in captivity.

Re-drafting for Resolution

On March 9, 2016, the Sri Lankan Parliament unanimously, without a vote, approved the change of the present Parliament into a Constitutional Assembly (CA) to draft a new Constitution for the island nation, declaring, "Parliament resolved this day to appoint a Committee of Parliament hereinafter referred to as the 'Constitutional Assembly' which shall consist of all Members of Parliament, for the purpose of deliberating, and seeking the views and advice of the People on a new Constitution for Sri Lanka and preparing a draft of a Constitution Bill for the consideration of Parliament in the exercise of its powers under Article 75 of the present Constitution."

Gilgit-Baltistan: Progressive Marginalization

At least two soldiers and two women were killed in a suicide explosion in the Smagal area of Darel Valley in the Diamer District of the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region in Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) on March 17, 2016. Acting on an intelligence tipoff, Security Forces (SFs) had laid siege to the house of a 'commander' of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)'s Diamer faction, identified as Hazrat Noor. An unnamed security official disclosed, "The terrorist blew himself up to avoid arrest. Besides his wife and daughter, two soldiers were also killed in the blast." The slain militant also reportedly had opened fire at the Forces before blowing himself up.