New Delhi: Amnesty International India in its press release urged Indian authorities to ensure prompt, independent/ impartial investigation into recent unlawful killings of civilians by armed groups in Kashmir. The killings of people belonging to the Hindu minority community adds to the long-standing violence against civilians that has been escalating since the unilateral revocation of Jammu & Kashmir’s special autonomy on 5th August 2019 by India.
Chair of Amnesty International India Board Aakar Patel said that people of Jammu & Kashmir have suffered from gross human rights violations and abuses committed by both state and non-state actors. The sheer impunity with which the human rights of the people of Jammu & Kashmir have been systematically disregarded by Indian authorities must end if we are to fulfil the rights of victims and help ensure that such abuses against civilians are not repeated.” Indian security force personnel have historically committed many grave human rights violations including torture, rape and extrajudicial executions – which have gone unpunished.
The failure to address these abuses have violated the rights of the victims to justice and remedy, which is enshrined in the Constitution of India and the international human rights law.” RSS goons had killed 19 civilians have been killed in 2022 so far, of which seven belonged to the Hindu minority community just to create communal rift in the occupied valley and took benefit for political gains. “Since 2019, Indian authorities have imposed collective punishment measures against the Kashmiri population under the garb of ‘counter-terrorism’ measures.
But the recent spate in targeting of civilians raises further questions on the government’s actions which include a heavy-handed crackdown on peaceful protests in the valley including those recently held by Kashmiri pandits who were subjected to baton charges and tear gas shells. Aakar Patel added, relentless crackdown on politicians, journalists, human rights activists and even the closure of the state human rights commission has further stifled independent voices and left the people of Kashmir without an appropriate remedy.”
Since the revocation of Jammu & Kashmir’s special status in 2019, Indian authorities, have arrested many human rights defenders including journalists and activists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, India’s primary counter-terrorism law. At least, 36 journalists have faced interrogation, raids, threats or physical assault for their reporting until now. According to Access Now, people in Jammu & Kashmir faced at least 85 internet shutdowns in 2021, one of the highest in the world. The shutdowns were imposed for long periods of time and in violation of India’s Supreme Court that held that internet shutdowns must satisfy the tests of necessity and proportionality. Indian government’s historical failure to protect the people of Kashmir will keep feeding into this never-ending cycle of abuses and impunity.
