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What are the suggestions for J&K and Ladakh made by ex-Home Secretary Gopal Pillai-led forum? | Explained
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Armed security personnel stand guard near Ghanta Ghar as security tightens in and around Lal Chowk on the 7th anniversary of the revocation of Article 370, in Srinagar on Wednesday. | The Forum has become the first major civil society group pitching for outreach to J&K, which has been in the throes of militancy for the past three decades.The Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir came into being after the Centre ended special status in 2019. At present, Gopal Krishna Pillai, former Union Home Secretary, and Radha Kumar, former member, Group of Interlocutors for Jammu and Kashmir, co-chair it. Several judges — Justice Ruma Pal, former judge of the Supreme Court of India; Justice A.P. Shah, former Chief Justice of the Madras and Delhi High Courts; Justice Bilal Nazki, former Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court; Justice Hasnain Masoodi, former judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court; and Justice Anjana Prakash, former judge of the Patna High Court —are its members. From the security side, Major-General Ashok Mehta (retd); Air Vice-Marshal Kapil Kak (retd); Lieutenant-General H.S. Panag (retd) and Colonel Yoginder Kandhari (retd) are its members. It calls itself “an informal group of concerned citizens” who could flag human rights violations from J&K and Ladakh. The Forum has produced seven annual reports so far. Published - August 06, 2026 09:41 am IST
Rebati Tripura was one of few tribal leaders who helped the saffron party grow organisation in hills and interior tribal communities. Mr. Tripura has joined Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Higher Secondary School in Agartala as a post-graduate teacher in the political science stream.The indigenous leader, who was a critic of Tipra Motha Party founder and royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarman and the latter’s style of politics, did not find a senior position in the recently restructured State committee of the BJP. He was one of few tribal leaders who helped the saffron party grow organisation in hills and interior tribal communities.Understanding with partyMr. Tripura was not re-nominated in the East Tripura (ST) constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as BJP was desperate to keep the seat in its fold. The party nominated Kriti Devi Debbarman, who made her debut in politics as part of an understanding with the Tipra Motha Party founder.She was elected mainly due to the backing of the Tipra Motha Party, which had already made a surge in the State’s tribal political arena. The Lok Sabha results also paved the regional party’s entry into the coalition government, but the party repeatedly gave crushing blows to the BJP in the tribal autonomous district council elections.Mr. Tripura, who served as an MP from 2019 to 2024, continued his criticism of the Tipra Motha Party while senior leaders of the BJP have adopted a guarded criticism. He, however, did not publicly oppose the BJP for its alleged hobnobbing with Tipra Motha. Published - August 03, 2026 12:21 am IST
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