New Delhi, June 2
Even as India and Pakistan prepare at the highest level to solve the Kashmir problem, people in the State feel the political process initiated by the government cannot succeed unless they are involved and human rights violations against them are stopped, according to report of a fact-finding committee of activists from Civil, Democratic and Human Rights Organisations.
Despite the ceasefire or “non-initiation of combat operations’ (NICO), the ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir did not change, K. Balagopal of the Human Rights Forum, Andhra Pradesh, and a member of the team which visited Jammu and Kashmir from May 22 to 31, told reporters here today.
Citing various instances of alleged “custodial killings” in the valley, the team under the banner of the People’s Union for Democratic Rights, claimed that even though there were eyewitnesses to testiify that the victims were taken into custody prior to the killing, these cases were explained by the forces as “an encounter with armed militants”.
The Army resorted to retaliatory killing of civilians in many cases when the forces were attacked by militants, Balagopal alleged.
“Forced labour or `begar’ is very common in the Doda area of Jammu where if an Army camp or Special Operations Group (SOG) is set up in a village, the residents of that area have to provide unpaid labour in sweeping, cleaning and bringing wood from the forest,” he said.
Another team member, Shahana Bhattacharya, said molestation and rape of women in the Doda region by the Army and SOG was routine and when women complained and lodged an FIR, they were pressurised to withdraw the charges.
PTI
