State Repression
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh named internal conflict the greatest threat to Indian national security. India’s many fractured ethnic groups and growing economic disparity create ripe ground for conflict. The Indian national government generally divides major conflicts into three major geographic arenas: the ongoing conflict over Jammu and Kashmir; Naxalite rebellions in the central corridor and militant movements in the Northeast. While conflict between the country’s Hindu nationalists and Muslim minority has remained relatively dormant in the last few years, tension persists. Small-scale conflicts across India—both old and new—continue and occasionally flare up in violence. Of central concern is the growing disparity between the country’s newly minted haves and the majority have nots. Many believe this increasing gap is of utmost concern for the entire nation. In this section, IndiaUnheard Community Correspondents Report on conflict.
Pandit couple have been living with this Muslim Family for last 10 Years in Kashmir
In a heartening example of communal harmony between Muslims and Pandits in Kashmir, Muslims performed the last rites of Janki Nath (84) who, along with his wife Rani, had been living with a Kashmiri Muslim family for the last 10 years. In 1990, at the time when Kashmiri Pandits (Hindus)...
Enforced disappearance of Mushtaq Ahmed Dar from Srinagar
Azizi’s son Mushtaq Ahmad Dar, disappeared in custody after being picked up by the army in Srinagar. A request for sanction for prosecution is reportedly pending before the Ministry of Defence till date. Investigations have indicted the alleged perpetrators in the disappearance of Mushtaq Ahmad Dar.
Nine Years & Still Waiting for Justice after Fake Encounter Killing
A carpenter from Kokernag, was passed off as Lashkar militant Abu Hafiz and killed allegedly in a fake encounter. Abdur Rehman Paddar had disappeared on December 8, 2006 and was one among the victims of Ganderbal fake encounter which took place in district Ganderbal. This Ground Report is part of...
Enforced Disappearance of Ashraf Koka from South Kashmir’s Verinag Town
On 27 October 2001, Mohammad Ashraf Koka was picked up by ITBP personnel from his residence at around 7:30 pm and subsequently disappeared. The family of Mohammad Ashraf Koka states that he was picked up by personnel of the 10th Battalion Indo-Tibetan Border Police [ITBP], Verinag Camp. The father of...
Family narrates the tale of the killing of their son by police
Faizan, a twelve-year-old boy, was killed by the SOG(a counter-insurgency unit of local police) men back in the summer unrest of 2010 in Kashmir’s Baramulla district. As per his family, Faizan was chased by SOG men when he was playing cricket in a local playground. After being hit on the...
Lower Suktel Dam destroying Tribal’s livelihood
Banchhorpalli, Bolangir, Odisha | Satya Banchhor Banchhorpalli is a tribal dominated village that falls under Loisingha block of Bolangir district, Odisha. This village comes in the list of those 29 villages which would be submerged in Lower Suktel Dam project. The resident forest-dwelling tribe considers Mahua tree(Madhuca Longifolia) as a...
IMPACT | Curbing the man Elephant Conflict
4 June 2015 | Torpa, Jharkhand | Amit Topno In this interview, Community Correspondent Amit Topno speaks of how his video on rampaging elephants in his village resulted in villagers mobilizing funds to purchase 15 torches that would help them locate and disperse these elephants. His advocacy efforts also led...
IndiaUnheard Turns Five
What would news look like if the very people who live a story produced it? What if each marginalised community had someone to document their stories and the issues they face from within the community? What if this news didn’t stop at reporting a story but also brought change to...