The period of the VHP’s belligerent build-up to the Babri Masjid destruction saw the rise of a mainstream ‘kar sevak’ media which destroyed the very fundamentals of journalism. Twenty five years after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, The Wire, through a series of articles and videos captures how the act of destruction changed India forever. I seek your indulgence for starting with a personal anecdote. It can only be described as an unhappy conjuncture of events in the ninth decade of the century gone by that, just when the Vishwa Hindu Parishad…
Read MoreYear: 2017
Teacher couple sacked on wedding day, school claims ‘Romance’ will affect students
A teacher couple working in a private school in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir were sacked on their wedding day with the school management claiming their “romance could adversely affect the students”. Tariq Bhat and Sumaya Bashir, residents of Tral town in Pulwama, were working in Boys’ and Girls’ wings, respectively, of Pampore Muslim Educational Institute for the past several years. They alleged their services were abruptly terminated by the school management on November 30, the day they entered the wedlock. While the principal of the school did not respond…
Read MoreRBI Cash restrictions attempt to crush Kashmir Economy: Kashmir Inc
As banking regulator Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has started to restrict cash flow to Jammu and Kashmir by choking supply of high denomination fresh currency notes to banks operating in this region, various Kashmir-based business leaders on Wednesday said it will leave an adverse impact on the already fragile economy of the state. Several banking functionaries on Tuesday had said that RBI has cut down cash supply to the banks in the state which has started pinching their customers especially ATM users. This step is apparently being implemented by…
Read MoreNot jihad, but love: The Hindu-Muslim marriage that brought Kashmir to a halt in 1967
The arc of the controversy has startlingly contemporary resonances. On July 28, 1967, Parmeshwari Handoo, a sales representative at the government-run Apna Bazar in Srinagar, married her Muslim co-worker Ghulam Rasool Kanth. Eight days earlier, the Kashmiri Pandit woman had converted to Islam and taken a new name, Parveen Akhtar. The love marriage set off a storm in the state. Unlike in the recent Hadiya case, where the High Court annulled the marriage of a Hindu woman from Kerala who converted to Islam and later got married to a Muslim…
Read MoreCentre extends deadline for linking Aadhaar with bank accounts till March 31
The government had made quoting of the 12-digit biometric identifier Aadhaar mandatory for old and new bank accounts as well as for any financial transaction of Rs 50,000 and above. The government extended Wednesday by three months till March 31, 2018 the deadline for mandatory quoting of Aadhar and PAN for all bank accounts and certain financial transactions. The government had made quoting of the 12-digit biometric identifier Aadhaar mandatory for old and new bank accounts as well as for any financial transaction of Rs 50,000 and above. The previous…
Read MoreBy linking Ahmed Patel & Pakistan, Modi is deflecting from the real issues in Gujarat
A worsening agrarian crisis and rising unemployment has morphed into concrete political anger against the BJP – a matter that the party hasn’t addressed in its election campaign. Ahmedabad: The first phase of Gujarat polls is over. People in 89 seats from 19 districts in Saurashtra, Kutch and south Gujarat have already voted. It was then that Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted – albeit without any proof – that some retired army officials of Pakistan were lobbying to make Ahmed Patel the chief minister of Gujarat if the Congress wins. While this allegation is a serious one,…
Read More60000 Daily Wagers, Casual Labourers to be regularized: J&K Govt
Jammu and Kashmir government will regularize 60,000 daily wagers and casual labourers, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Wednesday. “Our govt will be regularising 60,000 daily wagers & casual labourers working in various departments in J&K to provide sustainable livelihoods to those who need it the most,” tweeted Mufti. “Hard work & dedication must always be recognised & appreciated,” she said, in her tweet.
Read More10 injured in Anantnag road accident, 6 Year-old crushed to death by speeding vehicle in Poonch
At least ten passengers were injured after a Tavera cab turned turtled near Bradi Aangan village of Shangus area in Anantnag district on Wednesday. The injured have been shifted to District Hospital Anantnag where the condition of all the injured is stated to be stable. A six-year-old girl was crushed to death by a speeding vehicle in border district of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. An official said that Nargis Bi, daughter of Muhammad Asif, resident of Banola was killed after a speeding passenger cab hit her in…
Read MoreFive soldiers feared trapped in snow, National highway remains closed for third consecutive day
Five soldiers feared trapped in snow Kashmir freezes at sub-zero temperatures Flight operations remain suspended at Srinagar Jammu-Srinagar highway remains closed for third consecutive day Five soldiers went missing in two separate snow-linked incidents near the Line of Control in north Kashmir, the Army said, as the region received the season’s first major spell of snowfall that shut two major highways leading in and out of the Valley. Defence spokesman Rajesh Kalia said search and rescue operations were under-way at two locations in Bandipora and Kupwara districts to trace the…
Read MoreModi eats imported mushrooms worth Rs 80000 (A piece): Congress leader Alpesh Thakore
OBC leader and Congress candidate Alpesh Thakore said Prime Minister Narendra Modi disliked Gujarati food and was fond of Taiwanese mushrooms. OBC leader and Congress candidate Alpesh Thakore on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi disliked Gujarati food and was fond of Taiwanese mushrooms which cost Rs 80,000 per piece. Thakore also alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Gujarat leaders siphoned off Rs 1,500 crore meant for Banaskantha flood victims. At an election rally, the Radhanpur candidate said: “Though the Prime Minister claims to be a common man, he…
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