Kashmir is an intractable conflict between the two South Asian countries: India and Pakistan. It had affected people of tiny nation badly. Every individual suffered here in this vale of paradise which was known as the beautiful region across the globe. But its irony that due to unrest, turmoil, and cycle of violence, people lost their kiths and kens; and because of all that, State of Jammu and Kashmir suffered a lot. This valley has seen plenty of untold stories of massive violations of human rights committed by Indian army, police, and by some of the militant groups. Jammu and Kashmir has always been a difficult place to manage politically & administratively. Since 1990’s, the people of Kashmir were killed, tortured, humiliated, and injured. Thousands of the people were killed due to cycle of violence prevalent in Jammu and Kashmir. Thousands of the people got injuries and they became disabled to work. Many are those who lost their beloved children’s, daughters, sisters, mothers, and some women have lost their beloved husbands, who were only the source to care for them. Due to turmoil situations, thousands of the houses and shops were burnt.The Muslim majority population in the Kashmir Valley suffers from the repressive tactics of the security force since India & Pakistan got separated. Human rights abuses have been a part of the campaign of the Indian army against Muslim Kashmiris, particularly after 1990. The oppression has been manifested in the following types of human rights abuses: “disappearances”, torture, rape and molestation of Muslim women. But by God’s grace Kashmir is still struggling for the freedom movement and is sacrificing g precious lives for this small piece of heaven. Jammu and Kashmir is in trouble since India and Pakistan became two separate countries and the fate of this vexed state was left hanging and undecided. Last fifty years of Indo- Pak relation and history have witnessed nothing but bitter and very cruel relations.
Thousands of Kashmiris have been reported to be killed by Indian security forces in custody, extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances and these human right violations are said to be carried out by Indian security forces under total impunity. “Government forces continue to commit serious violations of humanitarian law in the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir. According to the Kashmiri-Canadian Council, 6,300 Kashmiri women have been raped. Rape is a method used to attack Kashmiri women who Indian security forces accuse of sympathizing with the militants. By raping these women, the security forces are aiming to punish and humiliate the entire community.” since 1990, some 700 to 800 people have “disappeared” after being arrested by police or armed or paramilitary forces. The victims have included men of all ages, including juveniles and the very old, and all professions, including businessmen, lawyers, laborers and many teachers. Almost all of them appear to be ordinary citizens picked up at random, without any connection to the armed struggle. Security forces have committed thousands of serious human rights violations over the course of the conflict, including extra judicial killings, disappearances, and torture. Since the armed uprising of 1990’s, thousands of Kashmiris have fallen victims to these stage-managed encounters undertaken by different security agencies to get out of turn promotions and other rewards. Ironically from the past two decades, the shameful phenomenon of “fake encounters” has assumed menacing proportions in the Valley of Kashmir. Since the uprising of 1989, thousands of Kashmiris have fallen victims to these stage-managed encounters undertaken by different security agencies to get out of turn promotions and other rewards. It is worth mentioning that the list of people killed in fake encounters in Kashmir includes students, shop keepers, vendors, and hawkers; and even old people.
With the extension of AFSPA to Jammu and Kashmir, the extra-legal killings have become the order of the day there and people are denied their civil and political rights because the armed forces there enjoy unfettered powers over areas declared as “disturbed area” prohibiting the assembly of five or more People. The present generation is witness to the facts that extreme degrees of torture, killings and rapes etc have been resorted to silence the people. If we look around our state, scores of orphanages have come up since 1990’s due this long lasting vexed conflict. Scores of killing and Human Rights violation continue at the usual pace. It is an accepted fact that conflicts between nations can either be resolved on a negotiating table or in the battle field. History is witness that battle fields have sent innumerable body bags to the unfortunate families. Manipuri rights activist Irom Sharmila has advised the Kashmiri youths and also women to take to peaceful demonstration to press for their cause since stone-pelting will not take the Kashmir cause anywhere. During her visit to different parts of Kashmir recently, she said that there were many non-violent ways to protest and violence should be shunned in all its forms. Sharmila asked the youths of Kashmir to resort to non-violent methods of struggle. Irom Sharmila, known for her 16-year long fast for the abrogation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Manipur, is presently in Kashmir and has been meeting dozens of women’s delegations. Sharmila also met Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti along with Sanjay Nahar, founder of Sarhad, and Dr Alaka Sarma, a social activist
Every Citizen of Kashmir wants peace, so let’s strive for restoration of peace, irrespective of colour, cast and creed. When Pakistan and India are inching towards normalization of their relation, no doubt at snail’s pace, the media needs to play crucial and vital role. For centuries, poets & travelers called Kashmir a paradise on Earth, but the paradise has become a tragic conflict between two countries. Government, separatist leaders and the people needs to work for the welfare of valley and to save the valley from more violence.
(The author is a student of Law Department at Kashmir University. His views are personal)
