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Dear Reader,
Kashmir has witnessed a spate of wanton killing of civilians from non-local, migrant communities in recent weeks. These targeted attacks have triggered fears of a repeat of the horrific years of the 1990s, when terrorism ensured that the minority community in the Valley – largely the Kashmiri Pandits - were forced to evacuate from Kashmir.
Terming the situation in the Valley “ominous”, Kashmir Observer cautions that instead of draconian counter-measures, the Centre would do well to begin to address the factors that have fuelled alienation and terrorism. In Kashmir, expecting the majority community to issue “stock condemnations” to protest the killings is futile - as the “majority is as helpless as the minority community”.
Mojo Story discusses the dire situation in the Valley, and the fears and anxieties it generates. As the ghosts of the exodus three decades ago come visiting, a palpable sense of hopelessness pervades the migrants and minorities.
Article 14 tells the story of how 34-year-old DD Santosh’s protest at being refused coffee at a local eatery in Dindagur in Karnataka’s Hassan turned into a movement that eventually paved the way for the entry of Dalits into temples in the village.
Redi, the village on the Konkan coast in Maharashtra has been a centre of iron-ore mining. However, rampant disregard of norms, as The Bastion highlights, is increasingly turning mining into a health and environmental hazard for its residents.
And, Down To Earth reports that as part of a special effort to fight the high prevalence of malnutrition in Rajnandgaon district in Chhattisgarh, the local government is serving four meals a day to children through the anganwadis. A first for the state.
For these and more stories from the grantees this week, please read on.
Warmly,
Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF
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