Editorial

Editorial: Why Afraid Of Transparency?

    The Jammu and Kashmir Coalition for Civil Society (CCS) had decided to hold a conference on “Civil Society as a Means for Conflict Management in Kashmir”. The CCS and a highly respected Netherlands based organization Inter Church Peace Council’s (IKV) application for grant was approved by the European Commission under its Rapid Reaction Mechanism. As the European Union (EU) is committed to strengthen the civil society initiatives in the South Asian countries, the grants were approved for such conferences. The conference was to concentrate on the issues of conflict management, relief and rehabilitation, alliance building, strengthening of civil society in Kashmir, role and responsibility of media and human rights. In this conference, thirty EU delegates from Europe, forty from Indian Civil Society, ten from Jammu and five form Ladakh were to participate and the conference was to be held from 11 to 14 June 2003, at Srinagar, summer capital of J&K.

    Since the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India (GOI) has laid down guidelines for holding International Conference, and fulfilling these guidelines organizations submitted the proposal to the nodal office of the Ministry of External Affairs and Home Ministry, at least 8 weeks before the commencement of the conference. The names, topics, venue and the tentative list of internationalists were submitted to the concerned nodal officer by the three organizations. A Delhi based organization, Developing Countries of Research Center, Delhi University, applied for the formal permission to hold this important conference and to grant visas for the internationals, scholars who were invited to attend this conference. Lot of renowned persons from different countries like Turkey, Azerbaijan, Palestine, former Yugoslavia, Germany, Netherlands, France, UK / Northern Ireland and Italy, had agreed to participate in this conference. Since applicants included renowned scholars Prof. Rajni Kothari and Professor Neera Chadhoke, the permission was expected. But the Ministry of External Affairs contrary to the applicants expectations, on 30th April 2003, vide its communication, through under Secretary Co-ordination Section informed that “the matter was examined in this ministry, it is however, that this ministry is not able to grant clearance from the political angle for the above conference.” Thereby, refusal to the proposed International Conference caused dismay and dismal to the participants, who were working hard from last three months to realize it.

    The GOI seems to be afraid of discussing Kashmir related issues by the internationalists. In the present global era, when these conferences are taking place every week or month in different parts of India, without even seeking the permission under the government order made by the Minister of Home Affairs. Even in Kashmir some of the pro-government NGOs working on the conflict management and conflict resolutions have held such conferences from time to time in which internationalists have participated and the GOI has not objected for the reasons that they have been convenient to the government but the denial to the independent civil society groups to hold such discussions is on the expected lines. The democratic GOI seems to be afraid of transparency in Kashmir. It is obsessed with solidarity and afraid of internalization of Kashmir issue. Even section of Indian media have supported the idea of holding such International conferences in Kashmir so that the issue of allegations of human rights violations at the hands of security forces could be discussed threadbare. But GOI has out rightly rejected such a move. Not only have they denied the permission to hold the conference but also even the IKV office bearers who happen to visit India in June on tourist visas were denied visas, which was assailed by Dutch newspapers and even this issue was debated in the Dutch Parliament. Following its policy of non-transparency in Kashmir the GOI has prevented Amnesty International, Asia Watch to visit Kashmir, which have access even in the non-democratic countries. The CCS assails the denial of the permission, which is in violation to the right of expression; even the reasons mentioned in the denial are ambiguous. It could be understood, if the denial was on the security reasons but the Kashmir obsessed bureaucrats and politicians in the federal government are afraid to face the reality and are behaving like a proverbial ostrich. Thereby, compelling the CCS for holding such conferences outside India.

MOLESTATION OF GIRL STUDENTS
“Why was I shot?” Questions a minor
June 9: Reports of molestation of college going girls, followed by manhandling by the troops of Choudharygund camp, triggered massive protest demonstration in Shopian area of South Kashmir. Police allegedly opened fire without any provocation, which left fourteen civilians injured including four students.
Inhabitants of Vehill locality and its neighboring areas of Shopian took to the streets when they came to know that the girl students of their area were first molested by the troops of 1 Rashtriya Rifles of Choudharygund camp and later manhandled.

    As per the reports, a Shopian going passenger vehicle was reportedly stopped by the troops for the routine checking and frisking. The troops ordered all the passengers to come out of the bus including women. There were about dozen girl students of Degree College, Shopian amongst the passengers. Before the troops started frisking the passengers they allegedly kept the girls aside and told them that they had received a love letter from a girl of Kisandoora area.

    The students accused the troops of routine verbal assaults including Hindi film songs. Their bags were checked thoroughly and even the troops read their notes inside their bags. But on that day it seemed that their intentions were bad and they were up to some mischief, said a student. Reportedly, troops first verbally assailed the girls and when they resisted they pushed them and when the girls reacted the troops misbehaved and threatened them of grave consequences. One of the soldiers even set the barrel of his gun at one of the students.

    One of the girls, who was molested spoke to The Informative Missive on conditions of anonymity. She said, “The troops during the routine checking minutes misbehave with us, sing vulgar Hindi film songs and also hurl derogatory comments on us. On one or the other pretext they start talking to us. They search our bags and read the notes in it. On that day, they stopped our bus and ordered all the passengers to come out of the bus, which we all did. We anticipated their intentions were not clear, they didn’t check our purses and bags as they did routinely; they told us that they had received a love letter from a girl of Kisandoora village but they did not tell the name of the girl. The soldiers only showed us some piece of paper from a distance. That was nothing but a piece of paper written by them. Shockingly, they told us they had received love proposals from the students of Degree College, which is categorically wrong and baseless. They wanted to annoy us and were looking for an excuse to talk to us. When we revealed our ignorance about the letter they started abusing and harassing us. Thereafter, when we moved towards the bus the soldiers tried to stop us, which we resisted, and the soldiers hurled abuses, and tossed canes upon us due to which some of us felt on road. They threatened us of dire consequences, and one of the soldiers pointed the barrel of his gun upon our one of the classmates,” said a shocked victim.

    As soon as the people of Vehill vicinity including the neighbouring areas learnt about the troops misbehavior with the girls they took to the streets to protest. The announcement was made on the loud speakers to protest the unlawful and unjustifiable act. Villagers in thousands while registering the protest raised slogans against the misbehavior of the troops and cried for the punishment of erring personnel. While the demonstrators were proceeding, the police swung into action, first resorted to aerial fire and then directly upon the protestors. In the police action fourteen civilians including four students received injuries some of them critically. Later the injured were removed to district hospital where from some critically injured persons were referred to Sri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS) at Srinagar.

    Arif Ahmad Wagay, 14, a student of 8th class, received bullet injury at the right side of his belly. Arif who has been admitted in SMHS hospital for the treatment recounts, “Usually our school closed at 4:00 pm but on that day due to tense situation in our area our school closed at 11:00 am. I along with my other classmates while returning home saw a huge mob of people raising slogans against the forces. Not knowing about the situation we were at some distance away from the mob. Before we joined the mob we saw a cop was telling something to the mob and all of sudden without any provocation he first opened fire in the air due to which people ran helter-skelter. Then after a short while, the same cop fired indiscriminately upon the mob. While fleeing for the safety, I saw blood oozing out of my right side of the belly and was totally unaware that one of the bullets hit me. I ran to my home, which is only few meters away from the spot where my father rebuked me for not coming home directly and in the meantime, I felt unconscious. Realizing, that a bullet had hit me, my father rushed to the Shopian hospital where the doctors referred me to the SMHS hospital. And, in the SMHS hospital, I was operated. I am in the hospital for over a week now. My parents and I are facing problems for not having any fault of mine. I also saw three injured villagers of my area who were discharged after treatment, but the doctors suggested me to stay here until I get well.”

DOOM’S DAY FOR BIJBEHARA POPULATION
    Little did the inhabitants of the village Pana Kjiran fathom that the dawn of June 30th will unfold as sordid saga of torture and harassment that is to traumatize the rest of their lives.

    "What had we done, why did they beat us, humiliate us and molest our women, why so much repression and torture, are we human beings or simply animals who are born to suffer" says Juma Khan a resident of Pana Kjiran, Khiram recalling the fateful day of June the 30th, when according to him hundreds of villagers were beaten and harassed. His voice is echoed in agreement by the hundreds of villagers of Pana Kjiran, a remote hilly village about 4 Kms away from Khiram and about 23 Kms from main Bijbehara town.

It was reported in some sections of the press that the RR men raped the women of the Pana Kjiran, but the villagers vehemently denied these allegations and said the women were only molested and never raped.

    According to the villagers, on the fateful day of June the 30th, army personal from 3 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) barged into houses of the villagers and asked them to come out of their houses. "As soon as we came out of our homes, women and men were segregated by the personnel of 3RR. While the men were taken to the jungles, the women were forced to remain in the villages", says Juma Khan adding that it was only in the villages we could sense that they were in for something really bad. The villagers say that all the males were beaten irrespective of their age, “they just kept asking us where the militants were. When we expressed our ignorance, young men like me were all hanged from the tress upside down and beaten like cattle.” Another old villager has the same tale to narrate, “My son has been ill from the last three years but still the RR men beat him mercilessly. When I humbly asked them why they were beating him, the army officer said that my son didn't have a valid election identity card and the army personnel had been directed by the present chief minister not to spare any person who doesn't have a valid election card.” The old man with tear rolling down his cheeks added, “Making an election identity card for my son doesn’t make sense, as my son is yet to reach the voting age.”

    Bashir Ahmed, a young man had burn marks on his back and bottom, which according to Bashir were caused due to the torture of the RR personnel. “I was burnt with batteries and scars on my back are from the torture. What was my fault, I myself don't know.” Another young villager Hussain laying his bed says, “They kept me beating for no reason at all, when I asked as to why they were torturing me, they just didn't listen and kept on beating me.” Meanwhile, according to villagers when all this torture was being committed against males, some personnel of 3RR were pressurizing the village women to accompany them for door-to-door search operations. “They tried their every bit to force us to accompany them, said a women adding the women were severely beaten and showered with abuses when they refused to obey the orders of the RR men.

    “Zaitoona, a mother of three was forcibly taken from the group of 20-25 women for search operation, when she refused to comply, she was kicked in the abdomen and she fainted and regained her consciousness only after 48 hours,” says wife of Juma Khan adding that another women Zainab had to pay a huge price for her refusal, she was beaten badly and was hit hard on her legs by the RR personnel.
The villagers allege that all the women were subjected to the same treatment from the 3RR personnel for refusing to accompany them for search operation. “We had to fight otherwise we would have lost our chastity and there was no point in living after that.”

    An old lady from the village said that when the torture became too much to bear and they could sense that they could no longer sustain their resistance against the infuriated RR personnel, she rushed to the jungle to inform the male members that the womenfolk in the village were in real danger of losing their chastity.
The males on hearing the tale forgot their own ordeal and rushed to save the honour of the females. When the old lady informed the men they broke the siege without caring for the thrashing and caning, ran straight towards the village and rescued women. The villagers both men and women ran towards Khiram and went straight to the DC's office at Islamabad. “We raised slogans and staged dharna (picket in) in front of DC’s office and demanded stern action against the perpetrators of violence against us”, said a villager.

    The villagers said that they were assured by the DC and the SSP Anantnag that action would be taken against the RR men and ex-gratia relief would be provided to the villagers. Lamenting the apathetic attitude of the higher officials the villagers said that more than 25 days had passed, but still not a single soul from the higher authorities had come to village for consolation. “Nearly half a dozen young villagers have been injured, yet nobody has come to condole us. Apart from an SHO, Sri Gophwara nobody has bothered to come here”.

    Sitting in the coziness of the cities one is easily lulled into the self-deceiving thought that all is well in the valley and life is fast returning to normal. But events like this clearly point out human rights are clearly the first casualty when the guns boom.

MEMBER OF APDP KILLED IN MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES
June 9: Dilshada’s killing will be a mystery like many other mysteries of human rights violations in Kashmir valley. Her husband, Ghulam Nabi Khan disappeared on 2nd June 1997, while she along with her husband were on their way back to home to Handwara in North Kashmir, after delivering a baby at Sher Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS). Her husband was picked up from Batamaloo bus stand in Srinagar and thereafter his whereabouts remained a mystery. Before her killing, she repeatedly said, that the pro-government militants abducted and disappeared her husband. After her husband’s disappearance, she had to maintain 3 children amidst grave economical problems.

    Dilshada got associated with the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), three years back, and filed a habeas corpus petition in High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and also filed an FIR in police station, Batamaloo. Initially Police refused to file FIR, as they had done in many other cases. With the help of APDP, a petition was filed before State Human Rights Commission (SHRC). Dilshada being young, attractive and alone due to the disappearance of her husband became vulnerable in her village. She confided many times that renegades operating in her village had made unsuccessful attempts of luring her for working for them. And on her denial she had also confided that she was being threatened. She was told by the activists of the APDP to settle at Srinagar and work for the APDP. She was inclined earlier but because of her children she preferred to stay at her village.

    Though illiterate, but she was intelligent enough to culminize the half-widows, and relatives of desaparecidos, whenever they had district-wise meetings, and particularly during signature campaign, which the APDP had started in 2001. She traveled to distant areas and made the signature campaign possible. She had to face lot of criticism and her activities raised eyebrows in different quarters. Besides, this campaign she was collecting raw information about the data collection. She was being paid some money but it was her conviction & enthusiasm, which promoted the programs of the APDP.

    She was very uncertain about her future, as there was no financial support from any quarter. Even the APDP had stopped the little money, which she was receiving, she was desperately looking for some help from different quarters, and under these circumstances, any person can disintegrate and compromise. There was the addition problems from her in-laws who had started a tirade against her like “she has re-married, is immoral, why she is frequently traveling to different districts?” and the basic grudge was her in-laws were claiming the benefits under SRO 43. Though she had promised to remain active during the hunger strike of the association but for unknown reasons, she stayed away and even didn’t contact the association thereafter. May be, it was because of pressing financial needs or any other serious problem which prevent her from joining the hunger strike.

    On 9th June, we learnt that she has been killed at her residence, and even her 6-year-old son, Owais was seriously injured. On 10th,June, we visited the village and tried to find out the reason behind her killing. The weeping and wailing relatives including her mother and father stated that on 8th June at about 8: 45 pm, Dilshada was ironing her clothes and suddenly seven non-Kashmiri speaking armed men intruded in their house and sprayed bullets on Dilshada killing her on the spot and during the firing her son Owais also received bullets in his right leg. He was shifted to the hospital at Handwara, where the doctors referred him to the SKIMS. There were lot of discrepancies in the statements of the witnesses, it was apparent that people were hiding something, the shell shocked father was complaining that his daughter was maligned and the assailants without checking the allegations killed her. No body was holding the renegades or militants responsible, the most shocking thing was the callous indifference of the neighbourers, even one of the young boy whispered that no body in the village is going to tell us who killed her.

    It seems that whole family was ostracized and even one of the youth in village had whispered that, they were informers. There are only two possibilities either the renegades or militants have slain her, it is immaterial who the killers were? But what is material is who are responsible for the factors, which led to the perception? The worst form of human rights violation is the poverty and seemed the morbid poverty of Dilshada was the real reason behind her assassination. Living in a shed, even unfit for the animals, disowned by her in-laws, she could be easily exploited by any agency. There was no support from the society or from the government and it would have taken years to settle her ex-gratia relief of her disappeared husband. The adversity had compelled her to visit offices including police stations to pursue her husband’s case and it was enough to malign her. We believe that she was the victim of poverty and the callousness of the society is responsible for her assassination as goes rightly the maxim “Society prepares the crime and humans commit it.”

ARMY KILLS FATHER SON DUO
June 16: A middle-aged Imam (priest) along with his minor son became the victims of army bullets late in the evening at Wagal, Kreeri in Baramulla district of North Kashmir. This incident was followed by massive demonstrations by the inhabitants of the area, which compelled the government to order an enquiry into the incident. However, the accused army claimed it was a case of mistaken identity.

    A fifty-year-old Abdul Qayoom Peer was an Imam in a local mosque in Vayil and had been staying there though his home was just a kilometre away in Daru Frastavar. He was invited by one of his friends at home and when till late evening he did not return back, his family sent his son Masood Ahmad Peer, 13, to get him home. And on their return back to home, an ambush party of army-opened fire on them, which resulted into the killing of duo on the spot.

June 16-: The state government ordered a magisterial enquiry into the incident. Sub Division Magistrate has been directed to submit the inquiry report with in 15days.

    However, the army claims that the duo were asked to stop but they opted to run away, as they had the reports of militant movements in the area they were forced to fire at them which resulted in to the killing of both on the spot. Notably, there is contradiction between the army version and the locals, the army claimed they opened fire at 10:45 pm but the villagers said it had happened around 9:15 pm soon after the Isha (fifth prayer of the day) prayer.

    Soon after the news of the duo’s killing spread early in the morning, the inhabitants of the area took to the streets to protest against the killings. The villagers raised the slogans against the army, and the newly constituted state regime, and demanded an end to the innocent killings by the troops and paratroopers.
The massive protests and anger of the people compelled the government to order a magisterial enquiry into the incident.

MKM ACTIVIST KIDNAPPED, BODY FOUND IN SHOPIAN
June 24: The government-sponsored militants were accused of killing a lady separatist activist Shaheena Dewan, a resident of Shopian after her kidnapping.

    Slain Shaheena, an erstwhile activist of Dukhteran-e-Milat was the leader of Muslim Khawateen Markaz. Her bullet-ridden body was recovered from the premises of the Mohmadia School in the Shopian Township within 12 hours of her "kidnapping" from her Chowgam village.Reports said, that Shaheena was killed for her association with the ongoing movement. Markaz, of which she was a leader, is one of the constituent parties of the Hurriet Conference. Daughter of Ghulam Qadir Dewan of Chowgam village, Shaheena had been a senior political activist. She was earlier with Dukhteran-e-Milat but later she quit this group and joined Muslim Khawateen Markaz. Presently, she was the secretary of the outfit.

    Apart from her political activities, she was running a couple of schools in the belt. She had married Mohammed Yousuf Mir of Ratnipora village and was mother of a three-year-old boy. Reports said that on June 21, at around 11:30 AM, an unidentified person came to her home and wanted to meet her. As they met, she accompanied him to the main road where she boarded a Maruti car. Next morning her bullet-ridden body was found in the premises of the Mohmadia School in the main Shopian Township.

    Her family says that Shaheena was the target of the renegade militia. Police have already registered an FIR in this connection. It is pertinent to mention here that she was one of the activists who participated in the protest demonstration in Lal Chowk last month after which she was arrested and released within 24 hours.

COFFIN WITHOUT DEAD BODY

    On 21st of May hundreds and thousands of people attended the funeral procession of a youth in the Kupwara town situated in North Kashmir. The death has shocked the inhabitants of the town. It was the first such incident during the thirteen years of militancy that the coffin they were carrying was without a dead body instead one kilogram of human flesh – the mortal remains of a person called Mohammad Ashraf Malik was left there.

    Mohammad Ashraf Malik, son of Khazir Mohammad Malik, resident of Malik Mohalla Kupwara, was a daily wager in state forest department for the last six years. He was arrested by the army and subsequently killed in custody. According to the statement of his father Khazir Malik, a vegetable dealer, “on 15th of May (Thursday), the army along with personnel of Task Force and some IB officers visited our home many times and inquired about Ashraf who had gone to attend his duty. They ordered that he should be presented before them. On 16th of May at 8:30 am his mother and uncle took him to the town commander situated in the Kupwara market. They were told to go and come after prayer. After 1 PM Ashraf was allowed to offer Friday prayers along with four other boys who were arrested on same day with strict instruction to report back to them, which he did along with the other boys. At 9 pm, the other arrestees were released, except Ashraf and we were told that Commanding Officer (C.O) has to ask him something and you come tomorrow. We met SP Kupwara, S.D Singh, on 17th, who assured us his immediate release.

Ashraf Malik was married on 6^th of November 1995, to one Atiqa Bano and has two boys namely Malik Farid and Malik Usmaan. At the time of his death his wife was 4 months pregnant. Before the incident Ashraf was never arrested. Therefore when army asked us to present him before them, we immediately handed him to Major Chauhan of 41 RR. We believe that he succumbed to torture during interrogation and in order to hush up the matter they tied the Explosive Improvise Device (IED) to his dead body and got it exploded just to camouflage the truth.

On Sunday we again visited the said SP four times to press for Ashraf’s release from the army. Later we went to meet C.O, 40 RR. The C.O was not available but some Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) said we have released him and he is now in the custody of SP. On 19th of May (Monday) SP again assured us he will be released in the afternoon at 5 pm. Since Omar Abdullah President NC visited Kupwara that day, the SP had to make security arrangements and at 5 pm we were told he is tired and to come in the afternoon. At 7 pm some influential persons from our area including some traders and activist rang him, they were assured that Ashraf would be released on Tuesday. On the same night at about 14:40 hrs, a big explosion rocked the whole town. Later we learnt that blast had taken place near the highly fortified camp. In the morning we observed there was an unusual deployment of troops. At 8 am, we visited SP’s office; he called three influential persons inside his room only to tell that Ashraf is no more. He added that he was being taken to a hide out where there was a mine and in the mine blast he had died on the spot. We were shocked by this revelation. The local MLA was also told the same story by the SP and army officials. The local police on the information of army looked for the remains of Ashraf in the nearby forest and all they were able to collect was one Kilogram of flesh, as the body had been blown to pieces and a tarried portion of his trousers. The police person handed over the remains to my brother after getting assurance that there won’t be any public outcry or demonstration.

No army inquiry has been conducted despite the public outrage. We were given to understand that the said major was transferred but we found him very much in town, in fact more defiant than ever and harassing the people ruthlessly. They have been paid their ex gratia;

    The news of Ashraf’s gruesome killing paralyzed whole town and there was a public outcry and resentment and for the first time public in the sensitive town of Kupwara, where they don’t dare to protest against the excesses of the army (since the town is near LOC) raised anti India and slogans against army excesses. There was complete hartal (strike) for one week. All the politicians, ruling class & separatist as usual thronged the place. The government appointed assistant commissioner as enquiry officer and ordered him to submit the report within ten days before 30th of May. On 20 of May, my wife Shafeeqa filed an FIR No (19/2003) in police station Kupwara. And we recorded our statements before the inquiry officer with the support of Bar Association of Kupwara district”

    On being asked by Informative Missive the reason for Ashraf’s arrest and killing, Khazir Mohammad replied, “few days before this incident on 13th of May there was a fidayeen (suicide) attack near the branch of State Bank of India (SBI) located before town commander camp. In that suicide attack 4 soldiers were killed. Notwithstanding the causalities of his soldiers, the major of CRPF didn’t open fire, which was something unusual. One fidayeen got killed. But thereafter there was unprecedented strictness particularly by the major 41 RR, who started arresting boys and questioning them.

MIFFED BY HIS DEFIANCE, AN ARMY MAN ALLEGEDLY THROWS DOWN A YOUTH FROM A BUILDING

June 8: The Rashtriya Rifle personnel in Baramulla town allegedly threw down a 28-year-old youth from the roof of a two storeyed building. The victim, Noorudin Kumar, a resident of Khanpura, Baramulla was driven to hospital with serious injuries. His condition is reported to be critical.

    According to witnesses, Kumar, a conductor of a passenger bus, had halted his bus near the central co-operative bank, around 100 meters away from police station. The army personnel of 46 RR posted on the rooftop of a building, were apparently irked by the defiance of the conductor, who despite warnings ignored the army personnel’s direction to move forward.

    “The bus was packed with passengers, and he was waiting for more passengers. The army men asked him to move from the spot, but he paid no attention to it. This angered them so much that they asked him to come to the rooftop, where he was mercilessly beaten and finally thrown down. He was injured and was taken to hospital,” a witness Mohammed Yousuf said.

    Around three hundred members of the bus union protested against the highhanded attitude of army and blocked the traffic on the national highway. They shouted pro-freedom slogans. Minister of food and supplies, Taj, Mohidin, who was on his way to Uri was stopped by the protesting crowd. The minister assured the people of help in getting justice for the victim. Army officials rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the crowd and promised probe into the incident. Baramulla Police Station SHO, Abdul Salam said every thing was right in the town and the victim was out of danger.

A FIFTY-YEAR-OLD MAN BRUTALLY TORTURED, THROWN FROM A CLIFF-TOP

    In yet another gruesome incident of inhuman torture, a middle-aged man allegedly became the victim of security forces wrath, in far-flung area of Budhan in Gool tehsil of Udhampur district. He was tortured ruthlessly and then thrown from a hill in a bid to end his life. Fortunately for him, the forces designs proved as dud.

    Hassan Din, 50, son of Qamar Din living in abject poverty and fathering 10 children had never imagined that such a thing would happen to him. Lying on one of the beds of Government Medical College hospital of Udhampur for treatment of his severe injuries received during brutal torture and in an attempt to kill him by throwing him from a hill by the Border Security Forces (BSF). Hassan was arrested along with 40 other villagers of his village following an IED blast on June 18. Although, no damage was caused by the blast, after the blast, the whole area was cordoned off and arbitrary arrests of about 40 persons were made. Later, all the arrestees were taken to Budhan BSF post. Thereafter, 8 persons were detained and rest were released. The detained were tortured badly and next day they were sent to Gool police station except Hassan.

    Hassan was tortured more brutally to confess his involvement in the blast which he denied to accept, as he was not involved in the blast. His refutation irked security forces and he was taken to Daggan (hill) Top where he was again told to accept his involvement in the blast. Favouring the truth he denied doing so. When the forces realized he was firm with his attitude they made an abortive attempt to end his life by throwing him from the top of Daggan.

    The police was approached by the BSF to collect the body. But the police refused to take it in their possession and asked the BSF to take him to the hospital. Showing some concern he was brought to Jammu by BSF and admitted in the GMC hospital. But the forces refused to pay the treatment charge.

MANHANDLING OF MINISTER
June 24: Minister of State for Power Javid Mustafa Mir today accused the Army and the Border Security Force of manhandling him at Chadoora in Budgam district for protesting against their highhandedness with civilians.

    "The BSF and the Rashtriya Rifles were using abusive language and beating up the civilians at Chadoora. When I intervened, they entered into an argument and even pushed me around," the Press Trust of India quoted Mir as saying. Mir said he was trying to reason with the security forces to behave with the people as "the Center had promised good treatment with those not involved in militancy."

    "People came out to vote (during last year's assembly elections) and if this is what they are going to get in return things are not going to improve," Mir, who represents Chadoora assembly constituency, said.
He said he has filed an application at the concerned police station against the army major and informed the district superintendent of police, deputy commissioner and state chief secretary about the incident.

    However, according to PTI, SP Budgam Satish Khandare said there was "no untoward incident with the minister." "There was a cordon going on and Mir was stopped. When he identified himself as the minister, the matter was referred to the commanding officer who allowed him to pass through," the agency quoted Khandare as saying.

MAGISTERIAL PROBE INTO KUPWARA YOUTH'S DEATH
June 24: The government announced magisterial probe into the killing of a young man in remote Wahipora village of Kupwara after hundreds of villagers came on the streets shouting slogans against the army. One person was wounded in the incident.

    Details revealed that troops from 30-RR raided the residence of Abdul Jabar Lone during the cordon and search operation this morning. They took two young men Mushtaq Ahmad War and Mohammed Akbar Lone, to the cowshed Lone owns and asked them to dig at a particular place. As they were executing the orders of the armed forces, there was a bang in which Mushtaq was killed and Akbar seriously wounded. Army said it was a grenade that exploded.

    The news of the killing spread like wild fire in the area. Hundreds of people from all the neighbouring villages came out on the streets. They were shouting anti-army and anti-India slogans and demanding immediate action against the guilty. Later, DC and SSP Kupwara rushed to the spot. Though the villagers demanded some senior minister must visit the spot and talk to the protestors, no minister was available.

    Later DC Kupwara, ordered probe into the incident by a magistrate. He assured people that he would take up the issue with the top army authorities in his area. After the assurance the people agreed to bury the slain young man who was a college going student. On DC's orders, the police registered an FIR.

LIVING A LIFE OF RECLUSE
Youth rendered handicapped due to custodial torture

    Tall, well built and young, he is just twenty-two years old and is dependent on people to live his life, he is Shabir Ahmad, resident of Mulafa Burzuhama Harwan - a victim of brutal torture, rendered handicapped for the rest of his life - courtesy security forces in Kashmir. Shabir’s tragedy started with the fact that his maternal uncle was a militant and all those associated with him had to bear the brunt of this association.

    In the year 1996, at the time he was a 10th class student, an army officer Birender Prasad called him to his Chandpura camp. He went there on behest of Mulfaka, an Ikhwani working with the army. Mulfaka convinced Shabir that the army would not harass him. Says Shabir, “I went to the army camp along with him. First the army officer offered us tea and then told Mulfaka to leave the room. He locked the door and started beating me and asked me about my maama (maternal uncle) who was a militant then. I told him, I don’t know anything and he started beating me ruthlessly, he laid me on the ground and beat me with his gun and kicked me on the back I was severely tortured.

    After the interrogation, I went home and after 20 days my face and body started bloating. At that time, I had not told my parents about the interrogation, but after that I was taken to the hospital and I related my experience to doctors and they said due to torture my kidneys were affected. And, since then I am undergoing treatment, I also went to Delhi for treatment and spend about 1.5 lac and we are still under that debt. Now I have to spend at least Rs. 5000 per month on medicines, which I cannot afford. In the year 98, I was in 12th class but my ill health failed me and I could not take up my examination.”

    Shabir’s trouble did not end with first interrogation; again in the year 99, he was again tortured. “At that time my maama (maternal uncle) was released but for the period he was set free he was always tortured and harassed. His old father was beaten mercilessly and even his brother was tortured many times. Even we were not spared as I was the unwitting victim and second time I was tortured and they said your maama (maternal uncle) is living with you, my sister and friend were not spared they were beaten too. I told them I have a kidney problem but once they heard it they started beating me near kidneys and constantly started kicking me. I was in immense pain.

    My maama (maternal uncle) was finally martyred in 1999. He was a militant with Hizbul Mujahideen (HM). He was known as Saif-ul-Ali Jahangir but his real name was Nazir Ahmad Dar. After the first torture, I did inform the police but no action was taken. After his death my fears have vanished, now they (Army) don’t harass us.

    After the torture, my life has been rendered meaningless and I feel more of a liability than an asset, as being son is considered one. I am mentally disturbed and in hot summer months I wore woolen clothes. At one time a topper and today I can’t even study a word. If this incident would not have taken place, I would have completed my education and maybe, I might have become a doctor but where do I stand today? My father is an old man, he weaves shawls and supports us but still our financial condition is very bad. I am the eldest, and have two sisters, and a younger brother. With only meager income, I find my medicine bills a liability. We had some land, which we sold for my treatment. We are also in debt. We are all ailing at home; our health is deteriorating day by day. When one person in the family is sick, it affects the entire household. A charitable organization, Help Poor Voluntary Trust, bared my health expenses, but recently they have stopped, and now my worries are how will I meet my medicine bills? If the course of treatment is stopped, it will affect my health. From the past seven days I am in search of a donor who would lend me money. This speaks about my condition. I would love to work and support my family but my ill health does not permit me to do any work. Even I can’t walk properly, how can I work. Besides, I have to work in clean environment lest the pollution affects my health and I cannot do any laborious work.
No body helps anybody; some doctors at the government hospitals wanted me to visit them at their private clinics. For years I visited many doctors. My medicines are life long, I am invalid and for whole life, I have to beg people to help me to live. Is this life really worth living? I am disinterested in worldly affairs, once I loved this world, I had every thing and today, I have nothing. One incident and whole life changed. My maternal uncle left behind six children and wife. My grandfather has to look after that family also. I wish I could do something for them. But that will remain a dream.”

    Shabir’s story is not an unusual one; thousands of youth are rendered handicapped during custodial torture. The third degree torture methods employed by security forces not only inflict physical pain on youth of Kashmir, the mental trauma notwithstanding.

USE AND THROW
    The government of India said it paved every effort to make peace return in valley, and for this the scapegoats were of course the naïve Kashmiri. Many militants were promised huge amounts of money with a cushy life style, and many weak souls succumbed to the temptation. A new group called as Ikhwanis or renegades surfaced, bringing untold miseries to the already suffering souls of Kashmir. They were answerable to none and the National Conference (NC) regime under the leadership of Farooq Abdullah empowered them with such powers as was not even given to security forces. Together with their counterpart (the security forces), they unleashed a reign of terror. Abductions, murder, rapes were the order of the day.

“I appeal to government that parties like Awaami League should be banned, they play with lives and sentiments of people”

    Kuka Parray, once a saviour of people overnight turned into a devil, as he became a pro-government militant or Ikhwani and started his counter militant group Ikhwan-ul- Muslimoon and soon after floated a political party Awaami League. Many people joined in it for the booty was tough to resist. One such man was Bashir Ahmad from Mulgam Tangmarg. He was the Tehsil president of Awaami League. His stint of glory came to end when on 12th Feb 2001; he was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in his house. At that time his security guards were not around. After his death, his family comprising wife, son and daughter found out how the government had used and thrown Bashir. After his death they received no help from Kuka Parray, who kept making false promise. Though, they received the amount of ex-gratia relief. All the proceedings for their case have been completed. FIR has been lodged and Deputy Commissioner (DC) Baramulla has forwarded their case. Even the army have helped them, and given them the death certificate, yet at large they feel dejected.

    Till Bashir was alive, he had lot of friends, but once he was killed friends turned foes even relatives turned hostile. Bashir’s father, leaving all others in a mess, took all the property. Ajaz, Bashir’s son finds the going tough. He says, “the people we relied on cheated us, they are cheaters, Kuka Parray is a cheater”. My father laid his life for him, and he did not bother about his family, our own relatives ostracized us, my grand father took away all our possessions and we have no source of income”. Ajaz is studying in B.A. 2nd year, though Kuka Parray promised him job but never gave him. Twenty-year-old Ajaz has no inclination to join politics, he says, “I appeal to government that parties like Awaami League should be banned, they play with lives and sentiments of people ”

    Ajaz has learned the hard way the dirty game of politics. He said that his father joined Kuka Parray’s party only because their younger uncle was a militant and the army used to constantly harass them. Whatever the reason of his father joining the Ikhwanis the fact remains he was exploited. Ajaz finds it hard to believe that his father was used and then discarded so easily. But this is politics he needs to know. All paths lead to a peaceful solution of Kashmir claims the authority, even if this so-called peace is achieved by trampling over thousands of Kashmiris.

Tragic family:
IGNORANCE AND FATE
Tale of an unfortunate man who Lost three members of family in less than ten years

    A septuagenarian, Ghulam Nabi Sheikh, lives in a world of ignorance, having lived all his life in a remote village; he is not even aware where city of Srinagar is? It is only when somebody accompanies him, does he move out. This illiterate, and ignorant, and physically weak man from Hatmula, Mughpora area of district Handwara lost his three children and son-in-law within the period of less than ten years. Working as labourer he sustained his family for a long time and like other aging fathers, he had pinned his hopes on his sons, but he had never imagined what the fate of his son’s would be. The army allegedly arrested his elder son and his younger son was shot dead by unidentified gunmen outside his home. His daughter died of a serious ailment.

    Ghulam Nabi Sheikh recalls his woeful experiences, ”I had four children, two sons and two daughters both of whom were married in Sopore area of Baramulla district. I had 4 kanals of land and cattle. I was living a peaceful and good life, with Allah’s blessing. One fine day, everything changed, I do not remember the date and month but I remember the year; it was the year 1992, I along with my wife Raja Begum went to our younger daughter house for a night and on our return to village we came to know that my elder son Mohammad Akbar Sheikh, 18, was picked up by a group of unidentified gunmen. I was shocked, as Akbar was neither affiliated to any political, militant group nor was he working for any security forces agency. Then after two days, I came to know that he was released by the group but was arrested by the 175 Army Field Regiment camped at Palanpora Camp in Handwara. Being illiterate and ignorant, I was sacred to face the army, as I don’t know how to speak Hindi or Urdu. I did not even file FIR regarding the disappearance of my son. After about two months of Akbar’s arrest, a man who posed as a driver came to me and handed over a letter wherein it was written, ‘I am alive and lodged at Badami Bagh army camp where on the directions of the army, I am looking after their vehicles, and doing other odd jobs’. I was overjoyed to know that he was alive but did not know how to ensure his release from their captivity. My ignorance became the enemy of my son, as I couldn’t do anything to secure his release. Two or three years passed and again Akbar sent me a letter through one Nasi Langoo, a Shawl vendor who went to Himachal for selling his shawls. Nasi, visited Kanda jail in Himachal in order to sell his shawls to security personnel and it was here, he met Akbar who handed over another letter to him, wherein, it has written, ‘ I am in Kanda jail along with another Kashmiri boy Hassan Lohar son of Haja Lohar of Muni Ghoo, Kupwara.’ Despite receiving second letter, I did nothing, as I had no money to travel and am totally ignorant about the place. Neither I sought any help from my relatives nor they come to my help. When the relatives of Hassan Lohar learned about the sight of detention of their son the family rushed to Kanda jail where they made attempts to meet their son but failed to meet him. But at least they made attempts to locate their disappeared boy. I didn’t do anything, I feel helpless and weak and sorry for myself.

    To some extent, I was relieved that my son is alive and one day he will be back. In the year 2001, my younger son Firdous Ahmad brought a local Urdu weekly Chattan dated 19th July 2001, wherein, the photograph of my son along with two other youth and an army man with his gun guarding them was published on the front page. Firdous after seeing his brother’s photo in such a manner decided that we sell our land and try to secure Akbar’s release.

    In the year 2000, tragedy struck at my home again when my daughter Saja died of chronic severe ailment. Only couple of months passed by Saja’s husband, Shabir Shah a horse-cart driver also passed away. Leaving behind a daughter whom I adopted.

    The death of my daughter and her husband left me shattered, but little did I know there was more in store, as in the month of Ramadan (the holy month of Muslims) 2001, my younger son, my only ray of hope was killed by unidentified gunmen. He left his home for prayers in nearby mosque, we heard gunshots followed by a cry “waie mooji” (oh! my mother) and I rushed out of my house and at a distance of few meters I found Firdous lying on the ground in a pool of blood. Before I took him in my arms he died. The blood was oozing out from his back and face. The brutal killers who the villagers said were three in number pumped 11 bullets at his back and one at his face. I collected 12 bullet shells from the spot, which I later gave to the police. The death of Firdous left me with no desire to live but I am living for the sake of living, otherwise, I am worst than a dead. Firdous was only a boy of 14 years, and I fail to understand why he was killed and who are responsible for his killing? These are the questions, which remain unanswered.

    I am still hoping that my son is alive but is lodged in some jail in or outside the state. No other father is as unlucky and ill fated as me. One tragedy followed by another ruined my life, but I am still living. Now the unending poverty makes my life worst. The memories of my disappeared son and the innocent face of my grand daughter took the peace of my mind. Who will look after her, after my death is a question, which haunts me day in and day out? Recently, in the beginning of this year I filed a report in the Kupwara police station regarding the disappearance of my son.”

14-YEAR-OLD BOY DISAPPEARED, FATHER AT LOSS, WHERE TO START THE SEARCH FROM AND WHERE TO END IT

    Mohammed Shafi Shah s/o Abdul Ahad Shafi of Dooru Shahbad, district Islamabad, in South Kashmir disappeared in January 1992, while going for his tuition classes. He was studying in 6th standard and was 14 years old. According to his father he went out of the house to take his tuitions and did not return back as usual. All efforts proved futile and nothing could be ascertained, because there is no single witness to Shafi’s disappearance, his father says there is nobody who saw him being picked up by anyone, forces or militants. This made the search of Shafi more complicated. Two months before Shafi’s disappearance, Abdul Ahad shah who is a moulvi (priest) in the local mosque had a minor tiff with a local militant, who wanted to deliver a sermon, he said he will take 5 minutes but took more than hour which infuriated the moulvi and they exchanged heated words. Initially Shah thought may be the militant wanted to take revenge and that is why he picked his son.

    Shah confronted the militant who denied any involvement. After this Shah feels he may not be behind the deed, but at the same time fails to understand who could have done such a thing, he even went to militants who crossed the Line of Actual Control (LOAC), and verified whether his son was across the border but they said they had never seen him.

    Shah filed the complaint in the Police Station, but soon after, the Police Station was gutted in fire and the police told him that all the records had been destroyed in the fire. Then he again started the whole process, the police lodged his FIR, and now the case is with SP Islamabad. “I want that under SRO 43, my younger son get some benefit. My son had nothing to do with the forces or militants, he was too young to understand what they meant, he was just an innocent boy and a student. I went to CID and checked the records, but there was nothing against him there, ”said Shah.

    Eleven years have passed and Shah has lost all hopes of his son’s survival. He has 2 daughters; one is married and 2 more sons. The younger one is unemployed; Shah wants that his son gets the job under the benefit of SRO 43.

5 KILLED IN SHELLING
June 5: Five Kashmiri civilians including a girl lost their lives and eight other received injuries when Pakistani troops reportedly resorted to unprovoked shelling on forward positions at villages along the Line of Actual Control (LOAC) in North Kashmir.

    After a brief silence along LOAC Pakistani troops as per the reports resorted to unprovoked shelling which resulted in the killings of five civilians including a girl at Karnah and Uri sectors of Kupwara and Baramulla districts. All the injured were shifted to hospital and the condition of some of them were stated to be critical at the time of their admission in hospital.

    The civilians killed in Pakistani shelling have been identified as truck driver Abdul Hamid, his assistant Arif Ahmad Lone, both residents of Jalpari, (Baramulla), Ghulam Nabi Joo, of Hanjinar-Karnah, Sajjad Ahmad, of Wuyan-Pampore (Pulwama district) and a teenaged girl Kuki daughter of Abdul Karim.
The Indian troops also retaliated but the causalities from other side of the LOAC were not established.

6 CUSTODIAL DEATHS AND 8 DISAPPEARANCES IN 6 MONTHS: GOVT.
June 7: The Coalition Government lead by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) admitted in the legislative assembly that in their six-month rule in the state, since 2nd November 2002, complaints of six custodial deaths were received. The regime also added that it has also received the reports of disappearances of eight Kashmiris after their arrests since 2nd Nov.

    This statement came into limelight when a legislator of erstwhile National Conference regime raised unstarred question. The persons killed in custody were identified as Ghulam Nabi Dar of Pangam Shopian, Javid Ahmad Magrey of Soiteng, Mohammad Maqbool of Doniwari-Kupwara, Ghulam Ahmad Bhat of Parigam, Mohammad Ashraf Malik of Kupwara, and Abdul Hamid of Machaw- Chadoora.

    Further the government admitted that they had received reports from different parts of the state about the disappearances of 8 persons in custody after their arrest since November, last year. They were identified as Fayaz Ahmad Lone of Gadool-Kokernag, Abdul Rashid Parray of Larkipora-Tangmarg, Nazir Ahmad Najjar of Bunkoot-Bandipora, Abdul Rashid Hajam of Dangroo-Pattan, Ali Mohammad, Abdul Rashid, Mohammad Younis and Abdul Aziz residents of Banihal.

    The spokesman further stated that the government received many complaints of alleged Human Rights violations, which are being looked into. Security forces agencies engaged in counter militancy have been made more accountable for their actions. They have been directed to safeguard human rights of every individual as per the law of the state.

THREE SHEPHERDS KILLED BY GUNMEN
June 1: Unidentified gunmen, in tehsil Baderwah, of Rajouri district, allegedly slaughtered three shepherds. The whole Baderwah registered protest against these wanton killings.

    Three shepherds while on their way for grazing cattle were stopped by unidentified gunmen in one of the forests of the area and killed them after sometime. Later on, police recovered their dead bodies. As per the statement of an eyewitness, Bindi Devi “I along with my husband Daya Krishan, 50, brother-in-law Vidya Sagar, 35, and another villager Bodh Raj, 52, left our village Manthala, early in the morning at around 5:00 am, to graze our cattle in the meadows of Ghati. When we reached forest near Jai Ghati, all of sudden three armed men appeared and asked all of us except me to accompany them. They ordered me to leave the spot immediately, before I left they opened fire. I ran towards my village without knowing their fate. And on reaching the village I told the villagers about the incidents and they informed the police. Subsequently, the police rushed towards the spot where they found all three lying on the ground in a pool of blood. All the three died on the spot.”

    Doli Devi the wife of deceased Vidya Sagar was shocked at her husband’s death and said, “we are very poor people and have nothing to do with any armed or political group, even we have not joined Village Defence Committee (VDC) and I am totally shocked about the killing of my husband in this cruel manner. I don’t know why my husband was killed? What will happen to my two infants after the death of their father, as he was the only source of income. ”

    This incident irked whole area of Baderwah and in order to protest against the incident, the shops and business establishments remain closed for days. SDPO Baderwah while talking to the media persons said that 80 members of VDC are in Manthla area of Baderwah but due to the dense forests and tough terrain it is near impossible to protect the lives of the villagers. He described the morals of the militants operating in the area as all time low and said they were carrying innocent killings out of sheer frustration.

ARMY KILLS SHEPHERDS
June 23: Troops allegedly killed two shepherds and injured four other civilians including two women in Gagal forest area of Kupwara district of the valley. However, troops denied the claims of killing them intentionally.

A shepherd was allegedly shot dead by soldiers allegedly mistaking him as militant. The deceased was identified as Amin Khan son of Habibullah Khan r/o Rajbal, Nowshera in Rajouri. He was herding his cattle in the Bath forest of Bandipora district Baramulla in North Kashmir when the 3 Rajput Rifles, fired on him killing him on spot. 35 of his sheep died and 27 received injures.

    As per the reports, without any provocation the troops of 19 Rashtriya Rifles opened fire at the civilians while they were going through the Gagal forest, which resulted in the on spot death of two shepherds and injuries to four others including two women. The deceased were identified as Ghulam Hassan Chopan and Mohammad Yousuf Peer.

    However, as per the official report the duo were killed when they were caught in cross firing between the soldiers and the militants in that area.

THREE OF MARRIAGE PARTY GUNNED DOWN IN RAJOURI
June 7: Militants allegedly gunned down three members of a marriage party and injured another at Dhara Bhogla village under Budhal police station while militants shot dead a peon posted at Sub District Magistrate's (SDM's) office at Bhaderwah.

    Sources said militants shot four civilians last evening who were returning to Samot after attending a marriage party. They opened indiscriminate fire on the civilians, killing three of them on the spot and critically wounding another. The militants later escaped.

    The deceased have been identified as Mohammad Sharief, Mohammad Junaid and Anwar Hussain, all residents of Dara Bhogla village, while the injured as Shabir Ahmed. Meanwhile, militants killed a peon of SDM Office Bhaderwah at Pasri Adda Bhaderwah. The deceased peon has been identified as Muneer Ahmed Dhan, son of Khurshid Ahmed Dhan of Chinote, Bhaderwah.

    The militants shot him while he was standing at Pasri Adda, Bhaderwah. Police and security forces rushed to the spot and launched a search operation to flush out the militants. In continuation of operation in Thanamandi (Rajouri) in which four militants were eliminated on June 6, the fourth militant has been identified as Abu Baker from Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit. Additional recoveries made from slain militants included two plastic compass, one Dictaphone and Rs 3690 Indian currency.

THREE MEMBERS OF A SOLDIER’S FAMILY KILLED
June 23: Militants allegedly killed three members of a soldier’s family at Lassipora village of Sogam in Kupwara district after forcing their entry inside his residential house.

    According to reports, at Lassipora, militants barged inside the residential house of Abdul Majid Dar working as an army man and killed three members of his family and injured one of his guests. Militants allegedly raided Majid’s house but when he was not found there, they targeted his father Abdul Ahad, mother Raja and brother Abdul Rashid. All the three died on the spot and the guest Farooq Ahmad received minor injuries. Majid was performing his duty at the time of the incident.

GOVT. CLAIMS PUNISHMENT OF 118 SECURITY MEN FOR HR VIOLATIONS

    The ruling regime informed the state legislative assemble on June 16, that 118 security forces personnel have been punished for committing Human Rights violations in the trouble torn state. In an unprecedented revelation, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) claimed in the state legislative assembly that their government has punished 118 security forces personnel, who resorted to Human Rights violations while fighting the militancy. The personnel were from different security forces agencies. Forty-four personnel’s were of Border Security Forces (BSF), forty-seven from Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and twenty-seven from police.

    The regime further said that the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) controlled by the government recommended 219 cases of which 61 stand implemented. These included 13 employment’s under SRO 43. The government said six complaints of custodial killings have been received in which investigations are going on and in one case a police officer was places under suspension and the cases referred to Crime Branch.

PROBE INTO CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST 53 SOG MEN ON
June 4: The coalition government in the state is investigating criminal charges against 53 police personnel who were working with Special Operations Group and were allegedly involved in various Human Rights violations.

    This was stated by Abdul Rahman Veeri, a minister in the government, in response to a question by Ghulam Nabi Shaheen, NC legislator in the council. Shaheen enquired if the government intends to investigate the atrocities committed by SOG.

    The minister said the government has so far received 49 complaints regarding atrocities committed by SOG men and which involve 53 personnel. "Legal action in terms of concluding findings of the investigations have been taken against the involved police personnel and the process is on", the minister replied. Shaheen raised a supplementary question seeking information about the action initiated against ex-SDPO Soura, Abdul Rashid alias Billa, who is absconding. Rashid was involved in the infamous triple murder case and his whereabouts are not known. The minister said the government would submit a detailed report shortly, comprising all the details about the absconding police officer. He, however, said the prevention of the Human Rights violations is on the top of the agenda of the government. "Anybody found involved in Human Rights abuses would not be tolerated", he said.

POTA CASES
June 3: Since the enactment of the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) in Jammu and Kashmir State, reportedly at least 168 persons were booked under this act. All 168 persons were arrested and booked under this act during the rule of erstwhile National Conference regime. Out of 168 persons 86 were released on bail by the competent court. The newly constituted coalition government led by People’s Democratic Party (PDP) admitted its abrogation in its Common Minimum Programme (CMP) despite not having any power of abrogating it.

    Recently on June 3, in Legislative Assembly Abdul Rehman Veeri, minister of state for Public Works Department (PWD) on behalf of Chief Minster Mufti Mohammad Sayed while replying to a question of National Conference MLA, Ghulam Nabi Shaheeen said that coalition regime is never in favor of implementing of POTA in the state. He said not a single person has been booked under this act since the coalition government took over on 2nd of November 2002.

    Veeri further said they were helpless in abolishing the POTA because it is a federal law enacted by the parliament, which is not within the powers of state government. However, its implementation falls within the state government’s purview. The coalition government decided not to use POTA as a matter of policy.
After the ministers reply, there were complete pandemonium in the assembly. The NC legislator blamed the ruling regime of misleading people of the state by giving hollow hope of abrogating the POTA when they knew that it was out of their power.

    Later, the Panthers party member, Prof. Bheem Singh, asked the minister whether government has any plans to review the cases of POTA detainees.

BRIEFS
*LAND MINE CASUALITIES

June 6: One civilian was killed and another lost his leg when they in advertently stepped over IEDs planted in two different places of the state.

    Mohammad Afzal Bhat son of Gula Bhat received grievous injuries when he accidentally stepped over a land mine near Line of Control in Uri. Later he succumbed to his injuries. In another incident Ghulam Qadir Sheikh son of Ghulam Mohammad of Warsun, Trehgam in Kupwara district lost his leg when he stepped over a planted mine. At the time of blast he was working in a forest of Uri.

*IED EXPLOSIONS

June 12: Three persons including a civilian were killed in two separate incidents of IED blasts at two different places.

    Two soldiers were killed and four injured when their vehicle ran over a land mine planted allegedly by the guerrillas at Wagan village in Kokernag area of Anantnag district of South Kashmir. This incident took place at around 4:30 pm with a big bang in which two army men died on the spot while four others received injuries and the vehicle was damaged extensively.

    In another incident of mine blast, a youth Farooq Ahmad s/o Ghulam Rasool r/o Chake, Batapora Kang of district Budgam lost his life when he accidentally stepped over a land mine. Farooq went to Tossamaidan meadow in Budgam where the villagers used to graze their cattle, oblivious about the plantation of mines in the meadow, he accidentally stepped over a mine plated there and died on the spot.

* A CRPF PERSONNEL KILLS TWO COLLEAGUES AND DIES HIMSELF

June 9: Three personnel of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) 14th BN stationed at Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar were killed in mutual firing inside the camp.As per the reports, a CRPF man killed two of his colleagues allegedly in an inebriated state. But he himself was shot dead by a sentry mistaking him as Fidayeen (suicidal) militant. The deceased killer soldier was identified as Mahavir Singh and his two colleagues were as Captain Singh and Mukhteyar Singh.

    Before the incident Mahavir had also allegedly misbehaved with one of his colleagues. During the night, Mahavir Singh, in a drunken state went to the barrack and shot dead one of his colleagues. Subsequently, he went to another barrack of the camp and shot at his other comrade who received injuries and later died en route to the hospital.

        After hearing the gunshots a sentry mistook him as militant of Fidayeen and opened fire at him, which resulted in his on the spot death. The reason of the incidents has not been ascertained, however, the senior officer of the force are investigating the matter.

* 242 FAMILIES MIGRATE IN RAJOURI DUE TO THREAT
June 6: About 242 families have migrated from Gundi Khwas village in Koteranka area of Budhal sector in Rajouri district due to militant threats. According to sources, 31 families have migrated from Gundi, 77 from Keri and 134 from Bela, who are putting up in Khwas High School and some houses.

    Some civilians recently killed by unknown militnats at Bela Khwas recently, triggered the migration, as there were no security pickets in the area. Sources said the army pickets were in the process of being set up in the villages to take the people back to their houses. Local administration officials visited the area where the migrants were put up and distributed relief.

* 61 MILITANTS SHOT DEAD IN JAMMU REGION IN MAY
JAMMU, Jun 6 (UNI): Altogether 61 militants were shot dead by the security forces in Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur and Jammu districts in May and a huge quantity of arms and ammunition were seized from ultras while, seven security men were killed in various encounters.

    Highly placed security sources today told UNI that apart from killing 61 ultras, forces seized 52 AK rifles, 138 AK magazines, ammunition of about 4,000 rounds, five pistols, two pika guns, one self-loading rifle, a universal machine gun, 15 Under Barrel Grenade Launchers (UBGLs), four rockets, two Improvised Explosive Devices, 40 wireless sets, 110 hand grenades, two kg RDX and ten mortar bombs.
During the period, the ultras also continued their reign of terror by killing 19 civilians and injuring nine, burning ten houses, causing four grenade blasts and two IED blasts, killing seven security personnel and injuring 12 others sources said.

*SWEEPER MANHANDLED: INQUIRY ORDERED
June 10: The police personnel allegedly manhandled a sweeper of Sri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) hospital at Srinagar inside the premises of the hospital at Srinagar. The principal Govt. Medical College, ordered an immediate inquiry into the accident

* DISAPPEARANCE
        A shopkeeper, Ilyas Ahmad Bhat son of Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Bhat, of Nadihal, Bandipora, is reportedly missing since, Special Task Forces of police arrested him on 21st June this month from his shop at Nadihal. His family has expressed serious concern over his welfare and filed a report in Bandipora police station.

*GOVERNMENT ACKNOWLEDGE 694 KILLINGS DURING MUFTI’S REGIME
June 14: “About 694 persons including 449 civilians were killed since 2nd November 2002, after the new government took over in the state of Jammu and Kashmir”. The Minister of State for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Abdul Rehman Veeri, stated in legislative assembly.

    These killings took place during 2nd Nov 2002 to 17 May 2003, besides, huge numbers of civilian, 23 were political activists, 41 policemen and 181 soldiers. But there is no admission of militant causality during that period
.
KILLINGS IN THE MONTH OF JUNE

WOMEN-CHILDREN

June 5: A girl identified as Kuki daughter of Abdul Karim was killed in an exchange of fire between Indo-Pak soldiers across the border at Kamalkote village of Uri north Kashmir.

June 8: Unidentified gunmen allegedly killed a woman and injured her son after they barged their entry inside her house and fired indiscriminately on them at Machipora, Handwara in district Kupwara. The deceased has been identified as Dilshada Bano wife of Ghulam Nabi Khan.

June 10: Unidentified gunmen shot at a woman in Rajpur area of Pulwama for her alleged links with Special Operation Group (SPO). She received critical injuries and later succumbed to her injuries. The deceased was identified as Mehmooda Akthar d/o Habibullah Gania r/o Kamrazipora in Rajpur district Pulwama.

June 13: Mother, wife of a pro-government militant were allegedly killed by unidentified gunmen at Manidoora Marg-Rajwar. The deceased were identified as Gulshan Begum and Sobi.

June 15: Heavily armed gunmen believed to be militants allegedly shot dead a woman at village Mangota Marmat in Doda district of Jammu provision.
Residential house of Saidullah Parrey was intruded allegedly by the militants and spared bullets on his wife, which resulted in her on spot death. The deceased was identified as Mst. Shama

June 21: Unknown gunmen shot dead a woman of Tarigam Budhal Rajouri identified as Fatima w/o Mohammad Yasin Shah. Similarly in another incident gunmen whose identity could not be ascertained shot dead Mst. Rani Begum w/o late Ghulam Hussain of Dodi Surankote.

June 22: Two women were killed in two different places of the state. Militants allegedly barged inside the residence of Abdul Gania at Hari village in Surankote sector and killed his wife Rajni Begum by injecting poison in her body.
In another incidents, unidentified gunmen first abducted and later killed Shaheena Akthar of Rantipora Shopian of district Pulwama of south Kashmir.

June 23: Militants allegedly killed mother of an army man Abdul Majid at Lassipora village of Sogam in Kupwara district after they forced their entry inside her residential house. The deceased was identified as Raja Begum.

June 24:Two women were killed in two different incidents at separate places of the state. Shaheena Dewan, a separatist activist was assassinated allegedly by government-backed militants at Shopian area of district Pulwama after kidnapped her.
Militants in a remote village of Rajouri district allegedly strangulated a woman to death because of having affinity with an army man. She was identified as Nasreena d/o Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din of village Sam Samat in Dodasanwalla area of Rajouri.

June 30: Suspected militants allegedly shot dead a girl Masturu Bano daughter of Khan Mohammad Khan at Sawara Chalil area of Gandoh in district Doda out side her home.

CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS JUNE

June1: Six militants, five civilians were killed in different places and a woman received injuries in an IED blast at Poshpatri forest range in Kupwara.
June2: Four militants, a Special Police Officer and three civilians were killed in separate incidents of violence across the state.
June3: Two militants, a counter-insurgent and a civilian were killed in different places across the state in separate incidents of violence.
June 4: Four militants, two soldiers and ruling People’s Democratic Party activist were killed in separate incidents of violence in the state.
June5: A militants, and six civilians were killed in different incidents of violence at several places of the state.
June6: Twelve militants, an SPO and five civilians were killed in separate parts of the state in different violence related incidents across the state.
June7: Fourteen militants, an SPO and five civilians were killed in violence related incidents across the state.
June8: Three militants, a soldier and five civilians including a woman were killed in separate incidents of violence at different parts of the state.
June9: Six soldiers, nine militants and three civilians wee killed in separate places in violent incidents across the state.
June10: Army jawan, three militants and two civilians were killed in separate violence related incidents. June11: Seven militants and four civilians including a boy were killed in separate incidents of violence across the state.
June12: Two soldiers, eleven militants, two alleged security forces informers and two civilians were killed in separate incidents of violence at different places of the state.
June13: Four civilians, a renegade and two militants were killed in various incidents of violence across the state.
June14: Ten militants, two army men ,a cop and a civilian were killed in separate incidents of violence across the state.
June15: Four militants, three soldiers and three civilians including a woman were killed in separate incidents of violence across the state.
June16: Two civilians were allegedly shot dead by the army at Baramulla.
June17: Four militants and a ruling People’s Democratic Party activist were killed while police recovered two dead bodies of youth from two different parts of the state.
June18: A soldier, Border Security Forces Sub Inspector, a Junior Commissioned Officer, three Village Defence Committee members, two militants and two civilians including a minor Boy was killed in violence related incidents across the state.
June19: Three militants and a civilian died in separate incidents of violence in the state while a body of a youth was recovered by locals of Sirigufwara in Bijbehara Anantnag.
June20: Six militants, army ex-serviceman and a civilian were killed while over three dozen persons including dozen soldiers received injuries in separate incidents of violence.
June21: A militant, and two women died in violence related incidents across the state.

* :In legislative assembly govt. ones again admitted the disappearances in the state after the eruption of militancy and declared the number as 3931.

June22: Eight militants and five civilians including two women were killed in separate incidents.
June23: Eight civilians were killed while over two-dozen people received injuries in different incidents of violence in different places of the state.
June24: An army JCO, a militant and two women were killed in separate incidents of violence in the state. June25: Two civilians were killed while half a dozen people received injuries.
June26: Eight militants, two pro-government militants, intelligence employee and a civilian were killed in separate incidents of violence in different parts of the state.
June27: Three militants, two soldiers and a civilian were killed in separate incidents of violence across the state.
June28: Six militants, twelve army men and three civilians were killed in separate incidents.
June29: Eight militants, Army Major, a govt. backed militant and a civilian were killed in different places of the state.
June30: Six militants and three civilians including a girl were killed in separate incidents of violence across the state.

Date	Soldiers	Militants	Civilians	Others
Jun 1	-	6	5	-
Jun 2	1	4	3	-
Jun 3	-	2	1	1 Renegade
Jun 4	2	4	-	1 PDP activist
Jun 5	-	1	6	-
Jun 6	1	12	5	-
Jun 7	1	14	5	-
Jun 8	1	3	5	-
Jun 9	1	3	5	-
Jun 10	1	3	2	-
Jun 11	-	7	4	-
Jun 12	2	11	2	2 SF informers
Jun 13	-	2	4	1 renegade
Jun 14	3	10	1	-
Jun 15	3	4	3	-
Jun 16	-	-	2	-
Jun 17	-	4	2	1 PDP activist
Jun 18	3 (2 officers)	2	2	3 VDC members
Jun 19	-	3	2	-
Jun 20	-	6	1	1 army ex-serviceman
Jun 21	-	1	2	-
Jun 22	-	8	5	-
Jun 23	-	-	8	-
Jun 24	1 Army JCO	1	2	-
Jun 25	-	-	2	-
Jun 26	-	8	1	2-Renegades 1-I.B official
Jun 27	1	3	1	-
Jun 28	12	6	3	-
Jun 29	1 Army Major	8	1	1 Renegade
Jun 30	-	6	3	-
Total	34 (4 officers)	142	87	14

Jun 1

WOMEN-CHILDREN

DATE

EXTRA JUDICIAL EXECUTIONS

June 5

-

June 8

June 10

June 12

June 13

June 15

June 16

Total

CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS JUNE

DATE	EXTRA JUDICIAL EXECUTIONS	WOMEN	CHILDREN	ALLEGED DISAPPEARANCES
June 5	-	-	1	-
June 8	-	1	-	1
June 10	-	1	-	-
June 12	-	-	-	-
June 13	-	2	-	-
June 15	-	1	-	-
June 16	2	-	-	-
June 21	-	2	-	-
June 22	-	2	-	-
June 23	-	1	-	1
June 24	-	2	-	-
June 30	-	1	-	-
Total	2	13	1	2