Fake encounters in Kashmir

The epidemic of fake ‘encounter killings’ by the security forces has plagued Kashmir for too long. This weapon sanctioned as an instrument of State Policy and employed as a standard operating procedure was hitherto used to muzzle the voice of defenseless Kashmiris. This time it has been used by the Security forces for obtaining pecuniary advantages of promotions and monetary benefits. I must `congratulate' them for for this latest innovation, even at the risk of appearing cynical.The monster of `fake encounters' in Kashmir has run riot. With every such incident we think that Government of India must have learnt a lesson or two from our protests and things will not be repeated . But every time our hopes are belied and the Government comes with fresh assurances and promises. We tend to forget every time that when the highest authority of Indian Government that is its Prime Minister reneged on his own promise of a plebiscite made in 1947 in Lal Chowk. How are his successors expected to remember a promise of sparing the lives of ordinary hapless Kashmiris. Our naivety has accompanied us in this long and arduous journey of sixty three years.Year 2000. Five innocent people were Killed in Pathribal, Islamabad District. They were labeled as persons responsible for Chittisinghpora massacre. It hardly needs to be reiterated that Chittisinghpora incident itself was a covert operation conducted by the Indian agencies to malign and brand Freedom Struggle as a Communal Movement. When further five persons were murdered to shield the covert operation, Indian Home Minister, visited Kashmir to congratulate the forces for pulling off a miracle.Now let us examine the fate of Pathribal incident. After a lengthy inquiry, CBI chargesheeted five Army personnel, namely Brigadier Ajay Saxena, Lt Col Brijendra Pratap Singh, Major Sourav Sharma, Major Amit Saxena and Subedar Idrees Khan for murder. After going through various Court procedures. The case could not be proceded against the Army officers and is pending before the criminal court in Jammu and Kashmir. The reason being the issue of absence of “sanction” under Section 7 of the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act,1990.Come closer and you find that the Ganderbal fake encounter in 2007 raised a lot of hue and cry. Again the same result. Promise of an impartial enquiry, the repeat of the rhetoric of Zero tolerance for human rights violations, a few bucks to purchase the silence of poor hapless relatives of victims and that is all.The discovery of unmarked graves is yet another serious issue . Recently, the International People's Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice has shaken the world by disclosing that 2,700 unmarked graves with nearly 3,000 bodies across 55 villages in three districts of Kashmir have been discovered. Dr Angana Chatterjee of the Tribunal said: "The graves might be containing the bodies of the 8,000 people who disappeared during the 20 years of the armed conflict."It is believed with reasonable degree of certainty that a vast number of people have been killed in fake encounters and buried in these graves. What lends credence to such belief is that these unmarked graves are located near the Military Camps making them inaccessible for common man.The 'fake killings' in general are aided and abetted by some Special Operation Group (SOG) personnel, an amalgam of renegades, possibly motivated to gain awards and permanent recruitment into the police force. Remember that this group was conceptualized during National Conference government after 1996. The Govt. helped them in extortion, loot and plunder until they became law unto themselves. One of such persons was also recently awarded a Padma Shri confirming full consent of the Central Govt. to the arrangement. The Political advisor to State Chief Minister has now come with a bizarre explanation. He smells a conspiracy of destabilization of his master’s Govt. through these fake encounters committed with the help of same very renegades who helped him to come to power in 1996.By all means, modes and measures, it is the responsibility of international community to take cognizance of this genocide before it is too late. Syed Ali Shah Geelani is right in demanding a probe by International War Crime Tribunal.