Strike in J&K to protest human rights violations

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

Life was crippled in the Kashmir valley on Wednesday after the All Party Hurriyat Conference called a strike to protest against alleged atrocities in Kashmir. The strike coincided with the seventh death anniversary of Mirwaiz Moulvi Farooq whose son now heads the APHC.

Thousands of people joined a procession led by APHC chairman Moulvi Umar Farooq which started in the afternoon from Rajouri Kadal in the old city. For the first time, the state administration permitted such a procession in the city though security was tight.

The APHC leaders addressed the gathering at Idd Gah where Umar Farooq announced that the struggle in Kashmir would continue "till the goal is achieved". Kashmir transporters, led by the Kashmir Passenger Transporters Association, also went on a two-day strike on Wednesday morning to protest alleged atrocities in Kashmir and the indiscriminate firing on Tuesday by militants at the city taxi stand which left one dead and seven others injured. The transporters have demanded an inquiry into the incident. Lawyers and state government employees also struck work for two days over this issue.

Meanwhile, the state government affirmed its "commitment to respect human rights" and bring to book those who abused them after proper investigation. The government would not protect those involved the city taxi stand shooting, an official spokesperson said. From January 1992 to September 1996 the government has investigated 2,600 cases of alleged human rights violations of which 2,288 were found to be untrue.

The spokesman said those found guilty were being punished and added that 47 cases have been challenged in the courts. "Even the army and security forces are made accountable for their actions and punishment ranging from dismissal from service to reduction in ranks" is being handed out, he added. During the period 224 security personnel were punished, with 51 of them being dismissed.

He claimed the APHC was whipping up the human rights issue when the actual number of complaints received by the government was showing a marked decline from 935 in 1995 to 150 in 1996 and 122 so far this year. The Hurriyat, he pointed out, was saying nothing about militant violence which has claimed more than 5,800 lives since 1990.