News Wrap

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Under a police operation, under Raibaga police station, Near Rourkela, the last station on the Odisha-Jharkhand, border, the Biramitrapur police have arrested two members of the People's Liberation of India (PLFI), in a Night long operation on 17 September 2020.The Raibaga police raided Kadobahal village with adequate force. The two members of the PLFI, Kindo and Sahoo were arrested, and firearms including a carbine, four country made pistals, and a double shot gun were recovered. In a fierce exchange of fire between joint anti-Maoist forces, launched with SOG, DVE, CRPF and COBRA force of Kandhamal and Kalahandi districts (Orissa), the Maoists indulged in indiscriminate and heavy tiring, which as retaliated. The Maoists managed to escape in the forest area of M Rampur block in Kalahandi district, leaving behind camp material, INSAS rifle and live ammunition. A Chattisgarh Armed Forces jawan, who had been missing was killed by Maoits in Bijapur district, on 18 September 2020. Along with the body of Mllu Ram Suryavanshi, a pamphlet as recovered from the spot, in which the Gangaloor area committee of Maoists claimed responsibility for the jawan's murder.

Killing In Kashmir
The Indian army admitted on 18 September 2020, that "prime face evidence" indicated that powers vested under an infamous indemnity law were "exceeded", when three young cousins were gunned down in Kashmir in June 2020. In a statement on 18 September 2020, the army continued to describe the three youths as "unidentified terrorists", although it added that their "involvement with terrorism" was under police investigation. The three unidentified terrorists were killed in Operation Amshipora and their DNA report waited. On 18 July 2020, the army's 62 Rashtriya Rifles, had claimed to have killed there unidentified terrorists, near Amshipora village in South Kashmir's Shopian district.

Amid the Covid-19 outbreak and the militancy related violence, an epidemic of what Kashmiris are calling "lashe choor" (body stealing) has added to Kashmir. Valley's misery. Since April 2020, the security forces have been refusing to return the bodies of slain militants to their families, citing the Covid-19 protocol that prohibits large gatherings, which the funerals of rebels, invariably turn out to be. Most Kashmiris see this as an excuse to pre-empt the galvanisation of public sentiments and pro-azadi protests. The bodies of several civilians who were killed allegedly by the forces in recent weeks were never handed over to their families. The authorities buried them in remote places, away from the media glare. Many families are trying to secure permission to get the bodies back for a fresh burial.

Shrinking Economy
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has predicted that India's GDP will shrink by 9% in April 2020 to March 2021 sharply down from its June's forecast of (-)4%. India imposed strict lock down measures to contain the spread of the pandemic, and this has had a severe impact on economic activity. Growth outlook remains highly vulnerable to either a prolonged out break or a resurgence of cases, with India now having one of the highest number of Covid-19 cases globally. Other domestic risks include increasing public and private debt levels that could affect technology and infrastructure investment, as well as rising non-performing loans, caused by the pandemic that could further weaken the financial sector, and its ability to support economic growth. Government initiatives to address the pandemic, including the rural employment guarantee programme and other social protection measures, will aid rural incomes protecting vulnerable people, but private consumption may continue to suffer.

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Frontier
Vol. 53, No. 38, Mar 21 - 27, 2021