COMMENTARIES
  • Child Soldiers I: A Factual Overview
    N Manoharan    ·   25 Sep, 2003    ·    #1160    ·    Commentary    
    Definition A child soldier is any person under the age of 18 (it was 15 before 2000 as per international norms) engaged in deadly violence (non-criminal) or “combat support” as part of a state armed force or non-state armed grou...
  • Naxal Assault: Growing Vulnerability of Bihar Police
    Sanjay K Jha    ·   20 Sep, 2003    ·    #1159    ·    Commentary    
    Growing vulnerability, sagging morale and the lack of preparedness of the Bihar police was exposed, once again, when Naxalites blew up a police vehicle killing 12 persons, including 11 police personnel in the western Bihar district of Rohtas. Po...
  • Dam it! Why Big Dams in India’s Northeast Will Not Bring Prosperity
       ·   20 Sep, 2003    ·    #1158    ·    Commentary    
    On 30 August Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee assured that by 2007 every village in the country would be electrified and by 2012 every house illuminated. However, gloom descended over the eight northeastern states following this announcement....
  • Refugees and Security: The Cases of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram
    Paolienlal Haokip    ·   19 Sep, 2003    ·    #1157    ·    Commentary    
    The peaceful states in North East India, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram, are exhibiting signs of growing problems over the issue of refugees. While the concern in Arunachal Pradesh arises from the continued presence of some 60,000 Chakma and Hajo...
  • The Hurriyat Splits (Urdu Media Survey 1-15 September 2003)
    Amin Masoodi    ·   20 Sep, 2003    ·    #1156    ·    Commentary    
    Fragile APHC “APHC on the verge of breakup”, reported the lone bilingual daily Alsafa (8 September 2003) in its lead news. Thirteen constituents of the APHC voted against the party Chairman Abbas Ansari. According to reports, a...
  • Estranged Democracies; Elusive Friends
       ·   20 Sep, 2003    ·    #1155    ·    Commentary    
    Amidst the ongoing US quest for stabilization in Iraq, the United States requested India to assist it with some troops. India refused. India stated that it would participate only in a force legitimized by the UN. When the United States responded...
  • Widening the Discourse on Terror
    Firdaus Ahmed    ·   20 Sep, 2003    ·    #1154    ·    Commentary    
    Concentration on violence and its distressing outcome deflects reflection from terrorism in its wider dimension. There is also a perspective that seeking the ‘roots’ of terrorism only rationalizes it, and indirectly legitimises the p...
  • Japan and the Sri Lankan Peace Process: A Low Key Intervention of a “Soft Power”
    N Manoharan    ·   19 Sep, 2003    ·    #1153    ·    Commentary    
    The “international safety net” has been successful in keeping the peace process in Sri Lanka alive. There is “facilitation” by Norway; support from the United States; and a “supplementary” role for Japan in th...
  • Encounters: Not Enough to Counter Organised Crime
    Prafulla Ketkar    ·   19 Sep, 2003    ·    #1152    ·    Commentary    
    The recent encounter death of gangster Sunil Manchekar, who was ruling Thane city, has revived the debate on the efficacy of encounters as a strategy to counter organized crime. Mumbai, being the epicenter of organized crime in India, has a long...
  • The Exit of Mayawati
    R Radhakrishnan    ·   17 Sep, 2003    ·    #1151    ·    Commentary    
    The return of the Samajwadi Party to power in Uttar Pradesh has vindicated the distinct nature of U.P. politics which is marked by regular defections, caste based alliances, political opportunism and abuse of the state apparatus.   &nb...
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