Human rights commission to visit Kashmir in April

George Iype in New Delhi

The anti-India resolution passed by the Organisation of Islamic Conference in Islamabad on the eve of the India-Pakistan foreign secretary-level talks has prompted the government to send the National Human Rights Commission to Jammu and Kashmir.

NHRC sources said the apex human rights watchdog has been asked by the home ministry to visit the troubled valley in April to make an on the spot study of the human rights situation.

The OIC resolution on Sunday had condemned India for the 'oppression and massive human rights violation of the Kashmiri people.'

While India has officially ignored the OIC declaration, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has urged the federal government to send an NHRC team to the state to counter the polemics displayed at Pakistan's behest on the human rights situation in Kashmir.

A senior home ministry official said Dr Abdullah had invited the NHRC soon after he assumed office in October. A high-level team of human rights experts headed by Commission chairperson Justice M N Venkatachaliah had planned to visit the state in the second week of March.

But the plan had to be postponed in the wake of the resumption of talks between India and Pakistan during March 28-31. The Indian authorities apparently asked the NHRC to abandon its visit as it was felt that the observations of a government-sponsored human rights body would be detrimental to the progress of the much-awaited talks.

Home ministry cited two reasons for not letting the NHRC to go to the valley this month. ''If the Commission came out with a scathing report that violations of human rights by security forces is still continuing in the state, it would be embarrassing for the Indian government on the eve of the talks with Pakistan,'' an official told Rediff On The NeT.

Secondly, he added that if the NHRC declares that there are no human rights violations, it would force Pakistan to take an aggressive stand and could even result in the collapse of the bilateral dialogue.

However, the OIC resolution painting a poor picture of the human rights situation in Kashmir will compel the Indian team led by Foreign Secretary Salman Haider to present the state's human rights records which has been testified by the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

Jammu and Kashmir's human rights account presented to the UNHRC by the India government states that the determination to achieve transparency, even in situations of terrorism and armed militancy, has required the NHRC to remain in close touch with the Border Security Force and the army.

As per the records, in the last four years, 259 and 43 cases have been registered against BSF and army troops respectively. This figure includes 10 BSF officers and 15 army officers.

In the cases of violations of human rights decided so far, punishment has ranged from 10 years in jail to dismissal or reduction in rank.

Official sources said the Indian foreign secretary's efforts will be to convince his Pakistani counterpart that there is ''greater accountability'' rather than ''violations of human rights'' on the part of security personnel towards the Kashmiri people.