Silent River (Or Whose Side are you On? Written November, 2016)

A mother sings a lullaby. In the moonlight stars sparkle over the Jhelum. A father walks outside to lock the gate. And looks across the bund on to the silent river, black as night. Footsteps in the dark Stomp, crush Tar and leaves Dry as paper. Where are they headed? He wonders and hurries back…

More Counter Speech needed to combat Hate on Facebook in India

Efforts at Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) online have become an important focus for social networks. CVE targets extremist ideologies, tackling them through alternate narratives that focus on peace-building. It is an invaluable tool to supplement counterterrorism strategies worldwide. To identify effective counter-speech on Facebook, ORF conducted a study analysing posts and comments on prominent public…

Two pieces: After the India-US visit, Terror Convergence ‘Trumps’ Controversy

World leaders who pride themselves on having shaken up their respective systems by taking on the "liberal elite" and "draining the swamp", US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Modi have more in common than many of their counterparts. As many compared the two for their propensity towards populist politics, distaste for critique, and disregard…

How Breastfeeding Women Are Abused In Bastar – And Other Horror Stories

"Without emotion, as though she were talking about the weather, Manju (name changed) tells us how she and six other women in her village (Kunna in Bastar’s Sukma district) were subjected to “inspection” by a police party that came through their hamlet chasing a group of Naxals. Fearing harassment, torture, arrest or death, each time forces approach,…

Kashmir: Behind the Rage

Over a month after Burhan Wani’s killing in an encounter by security forces, the question of whether the ongoing protests are about glorifying a terrorist or whether his death was simply a trigger for simmering rage to boil over is moot. As ‘Azadi’ protests pierce the silence of curfew, and the stillness of strikes brings…

Survivors’ Tales: Politicising the Floods

Everyone comes back to the same concern of rehabilitating people in Kashmir. While the dismal amounts of state relief continue to trickle in, the biggest casualty of the election campaign has been the declaration of a comprehensive rehabilitation package for Jammu and Kashmir. One that pulls together housing, employment, opportunity and infrastructure in a well…