Stories that Matter

http://indiatogether.org/afspa-in-arunachal-and-northeast-states-raise-questions-government AFSPA IN ARUNACHAL Questions over AFSPA continue to echo in ‘disturbed’ northeastern states The Centre may have rolled back its sudden unilateral decision to accord ‘disturbed area’ status to Arunachal Pradesh under the AFSPA 1958, but that does little to restore confidence and good faith between the state and the government of India. Anjuman Ara Begum analyses why. 0   Write to the Author Law and Order Laws Human Rights 22 April 2015  - It was a bolt from the blue for Arunachal Pradesh on 7 April 2015, when 12 of its districts were declared ‘disturbed’ and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958 (AFSPA) was extended to the state, over and beyond the districts that were already under the Act, namely Tirap, Longding and Changlang. Section 3 of AFSPA empowers the central government to declare,  suo motu , any area in northeast India as ‘disturbed’ an

56 years of AFSPA: Legalising Rule O` Flaw By   Imphal Free Press The Imphal Free Press , October 2, 2014 22:35 By Anjuman Ara Begum `It was on the 11 September 1958 that the President of India signed the Act, and the same day 9/11 is observed as the anti-terrorism day world over, the struggle against state terrorism started on the same day for the inalienable civil, political and cultural rights of the peoples of Northeast India with the imposition of AFSPA 56 years ago…`™. this was the reaction of civil society members gathered on September 11, 2014 at Guwahati to `celebrate`™ the 56 years of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA, in short). AFSPA became law on September 11, 1958 after receiving assent of the president of India. It was promised to be a temporary measure. 56 years on, the Act is still in force despite several calls for its repeal and is still held strong by the armed forces an excuse for legalising repression and impunity calling it a `holly book`™.

New profession, old bigotry The latest incident of sexual assault has highlighted the hostile conditions in which Assamese women journalists work.  ANJUMAN ARA BEGUM wants something to be done. Pix: Journalists in Assam protest against the attack; credit: Eastern Mirror, Nagaland. Posted/Updated Monday, Feb 09 19:44:08, 2015 Published in The Hoot http://thehoot.org/web/Newprofessionoldbigotry/8074-1-1-25-true.html The assault of a female journalist associated with DY365, a local news channel in Assam on January 31, exposes the vulnerabilities of women journalists, including the risk of being threatened and defamed as well as assaulted.  Since December 2012, after the Nirbhaya case, there has been a rise in the media reports of incidents of sexual violence. However, the security of women in the media -- who have dared to enter a space traditionally occupied by men -- does not feature prominently in this discourse.  In Assam, the appalling working conditions of wo