After a period of relative dormancy, India’s restive Kashmir region has been struck by violence again, witnessing an increase in the targeted killings of civilians. In October alone, there were 45 deaths, including 13 civilians and 12 security force personnel. With the killing of a well-known pharmacist, Makhanlal Bindroo, and street vendor, Virender Paswan, in Srinagar on October 5, militants from newly emerging factions have triggered a new cycle of violence.
Vehemently opposing the Human Rights violation report submitted by the UN Human Rights Commissioner Navnanethem Pillay, the Sri Lankan (SL) government has recently rejected her call for establishing ‘an international inquiry mechanism to investigate further the alleged rights violations (both Human Rights and Humanitarian Law) and for monitoring any domestic accountability process in Sri Lanka.
CPI-Maoist State Committee Secretary Sabyasachi Panda visited the Sambalpur division after the Nayagarh attack to strengthen the organization’s capability in northern Orissa. In fact, he visited the area three times before the Nayagarh attack. It is assumed that Sabyasachi might have monitored the movement in northern Orissa all by himself. This information was disclosed in March 2008 during the interrogation of Dhanu Dehuri, who was engaged in the proposal called the “red corridor” from Bargarh to Raipur of Chhatisgarh.
There seems to be no end to the spate of spine-chilling incidents of mob violence. The alarming regularity at which such incidents are taking place leaves no doubt in the minds of the people that our country is on the verge of civil unrest. All in the name of democratic dissent, getting quick justice and a perceptible pessimism about bringing the offenders to book, people resort to vandalism, physical thrashing, killing and lynching now and then.
The Naxalite/Maoist movement in Orissa is gaining momentum gradually along with the State government’s proposed industrial zones. The red rebels have virtually set up ‘liberated zones’ along with industrial hubs in Orissa by adopting a new line of operations by mixing up both democratic and violent means to consolidate their position in these areas. Both the means are being used considering the geographical, social and political situations on the ground. As far as tribal regions are concerned, Naxalites are using violent means to maintain their support base.