Anando Bhakto

Anando Bhakto, Special Correspondent, reports on Kashmir and politics in the Hindi heartland. He has a special interest in covering human rights issues in Kashmir. In a career spanning nine years he has authored well-researched stories on custodial killings, arbitrary detentions under the Public Safety Act and juvenile detainees for Al Jazeera, Dawn , Asia Times and The Wire , besides Frontline . Prior to joining Frontline , he worked with The Hindu , the IANS and The Sunday Guardian . He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, U.K.

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G20 delegates take part in yoga session as a part of G20 Tourism Working Group meeting at Kashmir Valley in Srinagar on Tuesday

G20 Tourism Working Group meet in Kashmir sparks debate on realities of the region

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “normalcy narrative” faces scrutiny as G20 spotlight shifts to Kashmir’s tourism potential.

Jammu and Kashmir police entering a journalist’s residence to conduct a search, in Srinagar on November 19, 2022.

Journalists, human rights defenders in Kashmir face increasing assaults

A playbook that closely restricts press freedom is playing out, which has seen journalists being harassed through a variety of means.

Protesters clash with police at Awantipora in Pulwama district in March 2019, following the death of school teacher Rizwan Pandit in police custody.

Torture, custodial killings continue to haunt lives in Jammu and Kashmir

Immunity for security personnel has dimmed prospects of free and fair justice for the victims of extra-judicial killings.

Experts believe the recent raids at the BBC headquarters in India, coupled with the generally restrictive environment in which reporters operate, contributed to this decline.

India’s press freedom ranking dips sharply, according to analysis by media watchdog Reporters Without Borders

The report criticises the corporatisation of the Indian media and claims that all mainstream media are now owned by businessmen close to PM Modi.

A view of the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, where authorities disallowed Friday congregational prayers on April 14.

Why the maths is not working out for the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir

The longer it delays the election, the more space the BJP is likely to cede to its rivals in the PAGD.

Srinagar Police arrested two cross-border narcotics smugglers named Sajjad Badana and Zaheer Tanch on April 7. They seized 11.08 kg of heroin worth Rs.70 crore and Rs.11.82 lakh in cash from them.

Drug addiction-related crime: A new worry stalks Kashmir

The latest report of a homicide exposes the gravity of the situation in the region.

Opposition parties are prioritising a common fight against the Modi government and standing by Rahul Gandhi. In pic, Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav.

Is a non-Congress third front now a distant dream?

Opposition parties are now realigning battle lines, possibly seeing the political value in Rahul Gandhi’s emergence as a unifying symbol of sacrifice.

Anando Bhakto,Suhrid Sankar Chattopadhyay

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor at the Parliament House complex during the Budget Session, on March 14, 2023.

Shashi Tharoor: ‘BJP has shot itself in the foot’

The Congress MP thinks the BJP has scored a self-goal in the process of hounding Rahul Gandhi.

‘Not many takers for Khalistan in Punjab’: Kanwar Sandhu

Interview with the former MLA of the Aam Aadmi Party.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the interaction at Chatham House, in London, on March 6.

Rahul Gandhi versus the BJP: Why does the saffron party seem nervous?

The Congress leader’s UK tour has given the BJP fresh motivation to hurl accusations against him.

At the Congress plenary session, in Raipur on February 25, 2023.

Congress plenary: Can a social justice plank fragment BJP’s rainbow Hindu consolidation?

Top party leaders are firmly opposed to the idea of anyone else piloting an anti-BJP front.

Gulab Chand Kataria (right), Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan, has been sent to Assam so that Vasundhara Raje Scindia can lead the BJP in the State election.

Modi’s Governors: New appointments raise questions

The choice of candidates makes it seem like an attempt to tackle rivalries within the BJP.