No end to India's atrocities in occupied Kashmir

Amnesty International (AI) has took note of the fact that though India claimed to be world's biggest democracy but its human rights record was dismally poor, which did not sit well with its tall claims of being the most democratic country.


India's forces in occupied Kashmir have been committing the most horrible acts of human rights violations including illegal arrests, rapes, extra judicial killing, forced disappearances and destruction of private properties. The occupation forces personnel commit heinous crimes with impunity as they have full protection under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which enables them to commit brutalities against innocent people of Kashmir without fear of any reprisal or punishment.

No court can take any action against forces' personnel without New Delhi's prior permission. There have been hundreds of criminal cases involving Indian army personnel but no action could be taken against the erring personnel for want of New Delhi's approval. None of the cases referred to the Indian capital have been answered, which has further emboldened the rampaging forces personnel. A recent happening is the ugly incident of Shopian where two young women's bodies were thrown away in a Nullah after torture and rape.

Accusing fingers were pointed towards the Indian soldiers who committed the nefarious crime and ditched their bodies in the stream. The matter was hushed up by puppet authorities ascribing the women's death to drowning. This is how the hapless Kashmiris are being suppressed and their legitimate rights trampled upon. Around one hundred thousand Kashmiris have been martyred since 1989, when the liberation struggle started with defiance and vengeance. Meanwhile more than ten thousand Kashmiri youth have been disappeared during custody of the armed forces. Hundred of nameless graves have been discovered at various places where innocent people falling victims to vagaries of occupation army were clandestinely buried.

It's believed that those who were disappeared during custody are buried in these unnamed graves. This colossal tragedy enlisted notice of human rights organisations but no plausible explanation has been offered by India in this matter. »

No end to India's atrocities in occupied Kashmir