Local cable channels are patronised when the news content propagates what government wants people to hear. Gags come in when they present a situation that corners the government. Majid Maqbool reports.  

Local cable channels have again come under government scanner for telecasting ‘objectionable’ news and current affairs programmes. The government has now ordered the cable operators to limit the news and current affairs programmes to 15 minutes everyday.
Last year, in the wake of Amarnath land row, the government had put similar restrictions on the telecast of news and current affairs programmes and passed orders to close down all the local cable channels.

The recent statements of Home Minister P Chidambaram regarding the revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and maintenance of law and order by the state government have little to reveal for the people of the state. The scheduled two-day visit of Chidambaram to Kashmir yielded two lines for media consumption but if these are dug a little, there is nothing new.
AFSPA is a centre subject and it cannot come into force directly in the state unless state government notifies some area as disturbed and clamps Disturbed Area Act over the same. Then only AFSPA can be enforced in the same area. And for its revocation, a simple ordinance is needed to de-notify any area as disturbed area which automatically will shave off the unlimited powers of armed forces in that area.

Across the political divide, politicians harped on the alleged rape and murder case to bring their parties to life. Few, however, found people responding to their calls. Shahnawaz Khan reports.

As the death of two young women under mysterious circumstances in Bongam Shopian stirred unrest across Kashmir Valley, politicians from different parties and groups also jumped in the fray with their political stunts.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), President Mehbooba Mufti first appeared in Lal Chowk with her legislators and party supporters protesting against the alleged rape and murder. Accusing government of covering up, she tried to lead her supporters to Maisuma and interior localities of Lal Chowk, but she could not find sympathies from the stone pelting protestors unimpressed by her stunt.

The alleged rape and murder of two women in Shopian has shocked one and all in the Valley. Shazia Khan talks to a few women to see how they react to the incident.

Shayna Shah,
Student, Disaster Management
It is not first time when such an incident has occurred in valley. Over the past many years, we have witnessed scores of similar incidents. All these incidents have weakened our self esteem. We are living under constant fear and are not able to move freely.
If India is claiming Kashmir as its part, why such atrocities against us? Don’t we deserve to live our lives on our own conditions and terms? They have created situation here that is more like a war. Our voices are crushed by bullets and teargases. No women, no human being deserves such a treatment. Let us know how long we need to be subjected to this situation. We want a change to our situation. We don’t need anybody’s handout.

Sajjad Lone may have considered the option of losing elections, but was unprepared for losing his face with his security deposit. Haroon Mirani looks at the ramifications of Lone’s loss on him and on the separatist camp.
A week after the results of parliament elections 2009 were out, separatist turned unionist, Sajjad Lone appears unable to come out of the shock – of his defeat. The media savvy politician with a flair for television chat shows is skipping media since.
Accused of fielding proxies in previous elections, some of whom won with his backing, Sajjad had to hide his face after losing his security deposit.
Last month when the reluctant separatist announced his foray into electoral politics, a confident Lone then had remarked that his defeat would be “only his own”.  He had justified what he called his “change of strategy” by the huge turnout of people in 2008 assembly elections.