At Himal Southasian, we are aficionados of the long read, but we do understand that both attention (and time) are scarce. That's the thinking behind Himal Briefs – a new initiative that will bring crisp, informed, contextual analysis from across Southasia. As the series title suggests, we aim to keep it short (if not sweet!) It is also a nod to the Briefs section from our print magazine days, which long time readers may recall. Our aim is to capture recent developments that our longer pieces might sometimes miss.
Expect an insider's view from some former contributors (and a few new faces) on major developments as well as underreported topics from across the region, ranging from politics, to social issues, legislation, economic concerns, cultural debates, the environment, and media and the public sphere. We hope Himal Briefs makes it to your reading lists.
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On 4 April 2022, S Phangnon Konyak took oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha, making her the first woman from the Northeast Indian state of Nagaland in the upper house of the Parliament. This was days after another historic ruling, where several parts of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland were no longer characterised as 'disturbed areas', pushing them out of the ambit of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). The Act is infamous for giving unbridled powers to the army and central security forces to search, arrest or shoot anyone in a 'disturbed area' on mere suspicion, and has long been a bone of contention in the Northeast and India-administered Kashmir.