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| Kashmir Scene: Vested interests ganging up against India | | |
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, July 13: It was expected that militant and separatist-friendly vested interests would gang up sooner than later to condemn India and support the cause of the Kashmiri secessionists, including their stone-pelting supporters, under the garb of the so-called human rights and it has happened. More than one hundred sympathizers across the country, including a few from Jammu and Kashmir, who masquerade as champions of "human rights" and "peaceniks", came together the day before yesterday and sent a signed letter to National Human Rights Commission, National Commission for the Protection of Children, Office of the Chief Justice of India, Ministry of Home Affairs and Planning Commission containing their one-sided tirade against everyone, except the Kashmiri separatists and those had been pelting stones on the security forces leading to the death of about 15. They call them as a "vigilant group of citizens."
Their letter asked those to whom it was sent to "initiate an impartial investigation into the recent killings in the Region." (The all-party meeting, which was convened by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister on Monday, has accepted this demand without saying that it did so because this "group of vigilant citizens" had demanded such an investigation.) The letter is nothing but a condemnation of the security forces and local police and it accuses them of resorting to "indiscriminate firing and excessive use of force."
The provocative, highly biased and motivated letter has gone to the extent of asserting that "Several protest marches organized across the Valley in response to the killings were met with indiscriminate firing by the security forces deployed in the region"; that the "political situation in Jammu and Kashmir" (read Kashmir) has "strengthened the existing culture of impunity in the region"; that the "CRPF (even) fired on ambulances"; that "even journalists with valid curfew passes have also been attacked"; and that "one of the emblematic cases that highlight the legal impunity is that of the enforced disappearance and murder of noted human rights activist", (which) "is merely one example of the ongoing human rights violations."
The letter has also drawn the attention of those to whom it has been sent to the "promulgation of special laws in the state of Jammu and Kashmir", which, according to it, "provides legal immunity to the armed forces." In fact, in this regard, it has said: "Under the Armed Forces Special (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990, armed forces personnel of the rank of a commissioned officer, warrant officer, non commissioned officer or of an equivalent rank have been granted extraordinary powers such as the authority to shoot and kill suspected lawbreakers. Further, the Act in requiring prior sanction for prosecution acts as shield for impunity for the non-prosecution of security force personnel involved in egregious human rights violations, including enforced disappearances and torture. Thus far, sanction for prosecution has been granted only in a handful of cases, and perpetrators remain free…"
It has asked the concerned authorities to accept what it says and it says: "Given the use of unprecedented force, we urge that the security forces exercise restraint and refrain from firing at unarmed protestors. The Central and state governments must ensure that arbitrary and disproportionate use of force against civilians ends immediately and an impartial investigation is initiated into the killing of civilians. We urge the Government of India and the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah to take immediate steps to put an immediate end to the violence perpetrated by the security forces; prevent attacks against civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and ambulances; ensure that the security forces respect the principle of proportionality while responding to civilian protests; initiate an independent and impartial investigation into the killings of peaceful protestors, several of whom were children; initiate an inquiry into instances of attacks on ambulance services; ensure that inquiries are conducted in a time bound manner and the report is made public; establish an independent inquiry commission to investigate the allegations of serious human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, killings, torture, rape and sexual violence in the region; invite and permit the relevant UN Rapporteurs, UN Special Representatives and members of the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearance to investigate the allegations of human rights abuses in the region; (and) initiate a general debate involving members of the Kashmiri civil society and others on impunity and AFSPA, and possible mechanisms to respond to the prevailing impunity."
India is liberal and secular democracy. Every India has the right to express his/her views on the issues of public and national import. As a matter of fact, it is the duty of the people to come forward if things are not in good shape. It is the duty of the citizens to play a positive role and help douse the fire and contribute to the processes that establish peace, promote communal amity and regenerate the socio-economic and political life of the society of which they are the part. But the liberal and secular democracy as we have in India doesn't mean that one can make common cause with those attacking the institution of the state; attacking our security forces; attacking our Army; in fact, attacking everything Indian; and promoting communalism, instigating violence, advocating separatism, disrupting economic activities and bringing things to a grinding halt.
The letter under reference is a classical case that indicates the extent to which the so-called group of vigilant citizens can go to malign our security forces, who are discharging their duties in an extremely hostile environment, and the Indian state itself. Had this "group of vigilant citizens taken cognizance of what the Kashmiri-based separatists and their stone-pelting motivated and indoctrinated supporters did in Kashmir during the past over two weeks and had it also recognized the difficulties of our security forces, no one would have doubted their intentions and integrity. Since theirs' was a lop-sided approach, one could say with a sense of responsibility that intentions of those who penned down this letter were not really noble. This letter has simply exposed them and established that they are with the disturbers of peace and with those who thrive on the blood of innocent Kashmiri Muslims. That the otherwise lengthy letter nowhere questions the role of the separatists and stone-pelting force and that it only condemns the security forces does raise several questions and one of the questions is: Whom do they represent - mainstream or primitive and intolerant forces?
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