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PM Modi to kickstart BJP's Lok Sabha poll campaign from Meerut | Kangana Ranaut in Mandi: 'Don't think I am a heroine, consider me as your sister and daughter' | Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav demand high-level probe into Mukhtar Ansari's death | PM Modi has mastered art of manipulating democracy, hurting Constitution: Mallikarjun Kharge | Mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies of cardiac arrest at 63

J&K: Continuing Deceit

Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management On October 5, 2015, following inputs about movement of terrorists in the Hafruda Forest near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Handwara area of Kupwara District in the preceding days, Security Forces (SFs) launched a search operation in the area. On seeing the Army personnel, the terrorists opened heavy fire, triggering an exchange that resulted in the death of four Army personnel, while the terrorists managed to escape. Reports indicate that the terrorists had infiltrated from across the border three days earlier.

Conflicting Reconciliation

Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management In a significant shift in policy, on September 24, 2015, Colombo decided to co-sponsor a draft resolution (A/HRC/30/L.29) that was tabled at the 30th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva. The draft resolution titled 'Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka', based on the findings of the OISL [OHCHR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights) Investigation on Sri Lanka], was sponsored by the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; and United States of America (USA). Notably, the previous regime of Mahinda Rajapaksa had vehemently opposed a strident campaign by the international community, particularly western nations, to interfere in the country's internal affairs in the guise of 'investigation of war crimes' through the adoption of such resolutions.

TTP: Enduring Shadows

Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management At least 43 persons, including 14 terrorists, were killed as the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) base at Inqalab Road in Badaber area of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, came under attack by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the early morning of September 18, 2015. The Badaber camp used to be an operational Air Force base, but is now a PAF training centre.

Chhattisgarh: Speed Breakers

Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management On September 10, 2015, a Police constable was injured when a pressure bomb laid by Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) exploded in Bijapur Valley, some five kilometres from Bijapur town towards Bhopalpattanam, as a squad of Security Force (SF) personnel was patrolling an under-construction road. Following the blast, the Maoists also opened fire on the SF personnel.

Assam: NDFB-IKS: Caught in a Vice

Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management On September 3, 2015, a cadre of the IK Songbijit faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-IKS), identified as Bhaigo Boro alias B. Bilaigra, was killed in an encounter with the Security Forces (SFs) at Saumukhi Nala near Diglipara village in Kokrajhar District. He was reportedly involved in the December 23, 2014,massacre of Adivasis (the "tea tribes" from Central India, who were brought into the Northeast to work on plantations by the British prior to India's independence) in which 69 people were killed at several places in the Chirang, Sonitpur and Kokrajhar Districts.

Karachi: Uncertain Gains

Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management On August 10, 2015, Pakistan Rangers in Sindh stated that the first stage of the ongoing 'targeted action' in Karachi, the provincial capital, had been completed. On September 4, 2013, the Federal Cabinet had empowered the Rangers to lead the 'targeted action' with the support of the Police, against criminals involved in the "four heinous crimes of target-killing, kidnapping, extortion and terrorism". The Federal Minister of Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, laying emphasis that this was to be a 'targeted action' or 'exercise', rather than an operation, had announced that a committee headed by the provincial Chief Minister Syed Qim Ali Shah would "manage, administer and control" the action.

Punjab: Proxies Gone Wild

Editor, SAIR; Executive Director, Institute for Conflict Management & South Asia Terrorism Portal The Home Minister of Punjab Province, Colonel Shuja Khanzada (Retd.) and 22 others, including Deputy Superintendent of Police Shaukat Shah, were killed, and another 23 were injured, in a suicide attack on August 15, 2015. According to reports, the attacks took place when between 50-100 people were attending a jirga at Khanzada's political office in the Shadi Khan Village of Attock District. Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mushtaq Sukhera subsequently disclosed, "There were two suicide bombers, one stood outside the boundary wall and the second one went inside and stood in front of the Minister. The blast by the bomber standing outside ripped the wall which caused the roof to fall flat on the Minister and people gathered there." Sukhera added that Police were investigating whether the attacker inside the building detonated a bomb.

Maoists: Never forgive, never forget

Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management A former Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadre, identified as Madhav Warlu Padda (38), was killed by his former colleagues with sharp weapons near Mauja-Kotmi village in Etapally area of Gadchiroli District in Maharashtra on July 22, 2015. An unnamed official said the former Maoist was eliminated because the Maoists were against his decision to surrender. He had surrendered in November 2014. Before his surrender, Padda had been with the Kasansoor Dalam (armed squad) of the CPI-Maoist for 10 years, since 2005.

Punjab: Complacence Kills

Publisher, SAIR; President, Institute for Conflict Management A day-long standoff between the Punjab Police and three terrorists who had holed up in an abandoned housing complex in the Dinanagar Police Station campus in the Gurdaspur District of Punjab in the early hours of July 27, 2015, ended with the killing of the last of the three terrorists just after 5 pm. A Superintendent of Police and three Home Guards also lost their lives in this gratuitous attack, which included the killing of three civilians in random shootings by the terrorists that led up to the final denouement at the Police Station. Separately, five bombs were found and defused on the Amritsar-Pathankot railway track in Gurdaspur, and initial speculation has linked these to the same group.

Gathering Momentum

Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management On July 7, 2015, after weeklong deliberations, the Constituent Assembly (CA) endorsed the preliminary draft of the new Constitution, clearing the way for public consultations on its provisions. Further, on July 9, 2015, the CA endorsed an action plan for publicizing the draft Constitution and provided 15 days to the Committee on Citizen Relation and Public Opinion Collection to gather people's views on the document and submit its report to the CA.

Manipur: Kuki negotiations drag on

Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management The Manipur State Government on June 9, 2015, agreed to extend the Suspension of Operations (SoO) with the United People's Front (UPF), an umbrella organisation of eight Kuki / Zomi militant groups, for another year till June 8, 2016. The talks with the rebel conglomerate were also upgraded to "political" from the earlier 'official' level. Later, former Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga, who was present in New Delhi and played a significant role during the whole process, stated on June 14, 2015, that delays in peace talks between the Centre and militant groups was harming mutual trust between the two sides. Zoramthanga argued, "Years have passed after signing SoO earlier, but without any formal parleys," adding that the groups had refused to sign the SoO over the preceding nine months [the previous agreement lapsed on August 21, 2014] creating an explosive situation in the North East. Zoramthanga further announced that, "The government has agreed to a political settlement with the members of eight underground groups." Zoramthanga has been facilitating contacts between the rebels and Government, and concedes, "I am neither an interlocutor nor an official mediator. My role was to build mutual trust between the Government and the groups. I just helped both the sides take part in the meeting."

Political Breakthrough

Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management In a major breakthrough, paving the way for promulgating a new Constitution, four major political parties - the Nepali Congress (NC), Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik (MJF-L) - signed a 16-point agreement on June 8, 2015. The agreement was signed by the NC President and Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, CPN-UML Chairman K.P. Oli, UCPN-M Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda and MJF-L Chairman Bijay Kumar Gachhadar.

Tripura: Final Consolidation

Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management The Tripura Government on May 27, 2015, announced its recommendation to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) to issue a notification for the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958, and the Disturbed Areas Act (DAA), 1967, from the State. The decision followed a go ahead from security agencies in the State.

Escalating Savagery

Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management As long as we rely upon the hammer when a file is needed and press Islam into service to solve situations it was never intended to solve, frustration and disappointment must dog our steps.. The Munir Report, 1954

Nagaland: Rudderless Process, Aimless Violence

Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management As the violent incidents of last few months suggest, NSCN-K's decision to unilaterally call off the ceasefire, the split within its ranks, and the Union Government's failure to make any progress with regard to talks with NSCN-IM, could lead to greater violence in Nagaland and neighboring northeastern states. SFs, who had enjoyed clear respite from terror, will, in particular, face the brunt of escalating violence, if these developments continue. Intelligence inputs predict a spike in hit-and-run attacks on SFs over the coming days, particularly by NSCN-K militants operating from across the Indo-Myanmar border. SAIR Volume 13, No. 41, April 13, 2015