[Reader-list] Kashmir Fact Finding

[Aditya Raj Kaul]

I quote Aarti. They are clones. :) Communal propaganda...isn't it ?

On 8/27/08, radhikarajen at vsnl.net <radhikarajen at vsnl.net> wrote:
>
> Were you in II world war with hiter and his propaganda machine or did you
> get any transplant from those ?
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Khurram Parvez <khurramparvez at yahoo.com>
> Date: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 7:03 pm
> Subject: [Reader-list] Kashmir Fact Finding
> To: SARAI <reader-list at sarai.net>
>
> >
> >      People's Union for Democratic Rights, Delhi
> >
> >
> > PRESS RELEASE, 26th August 2008
> >
> > Findings of an Investigation Conducted From 22 to 25 August 2008
> >
> > A six-member team from four human rights organisations conducted
> > an investigation into the "economic blockade" in Kashmir and its
> > aftermath. The team toured the districts of Srinagar, Budgam,
> > Baramulla, and Bandipora. The team spoke to victims of the
> > violence and their families, people who were part of protests,
> > doctors at the SMHS hospital, journalists, the Kashmir Chamber of
> > Commerce, and office bearers of many social and political
> > organisations. However, the fact finding was disrupted as the
> > state announced an indefinite curfew from the morning of 24th
> > August. The release also addresses the second round of curfew
> > currently in force. The total loss of life during the two periods
> > of curfew stands at over 35.
> > The main findings of the team are summarized below:
> >
> > 1.  Azaadi is the primary demand in Kashmir
> > The team arrived in Srinagar on 22 August and witnessed the
> > massive protest meeting at the Idgah grounds. People gathered
> > there publicly declared their primary demand for azaadi (freedom)
> > at the meeting venue and through numerous street processions in
> > various streets of Srinagar on 22 and 23 August. During our
> > interviews with individual families and with groups, people voiced
> > the same demand. A wide range of social and political
> > organisations have also reiterated this demand.
> >
> > 2.  Use of curfew to create a confrontation
> > Curfew was imposed from the evening of 11 August and again from
> > the morning of 24 August. The first time it was imposed hours
> > after the security forces opened fire at many places on an unarmed
> > procession heading to the Muzaffarabad border killing at least __
> > people. It was expected that people would come out in the
> > following day to protest against the killings. Curfew thus became
> > an instrument to prevent people from assembling and gave security
> > forces the power to use force against unarmed protestors.
> > The second time curfew was imposed with the express purpose of
> > preventing the dharna at Lal Chowk. The previous gathering at
> > Idgah, where this dharna was announced, had been peaceful.
> > Therefore curfew became the means by which a confrontation was
> > created, which could have been easily avoided. The clamping down
> > on media and the brutal attacks on journalists happened while the
> > team was still there. Arrests of leaders, raids of homes and
> > intimidation of local residents by the army and CRPF are happening
> > even now. On 24th itself, our team issued an appeal to the central
> > government to lift the curfew to prevent loss of life.
> >
> > 3. Deliberate blockade of supplies and its indifferent handling.
> > While our team has not investigated the happenings in the Jammu
> > region, its impact on Kashmir has been confirmed through our
> > interviews. Protests in Jammu, which started from early July, took
> > a more violent turn from the beginning of August. This led to
> > severe restriction on the movement of goods and people on the
> > Srinagar-Jammu highway and even into Punjab. Records at the
> > highway check points, as reported in the Economic Times (21.8.08),
> > confirm the substantial lowering of goods traffic in July and its
> > worsening in August. Shortages were created as a result: of oils
> > and cooking gas in the rural areas, of cereals and medicines in
> > the urban areas. Given the fears of Kashmiri transporters and
> > drivers, the impact was far worse in traffic moving out of
> > Kashmir. This has led to substantial losses for fruit growers as
> > well as handicrafts and carpet manufacturers and transporters.
> > Fruit could be found rotting at many places and handicraft
> > manufacturers report
> > cancellation of export orders for the ramazan season and fears
> > for the Christmas season. The team was told that till 23rd August,
> > 80 % of the trucks were not leaving the valley for fear of attacks
> > and only some 15-20 trucks were able to carry the apples out of
> > the valley after assurance of safe passage from the government.
> > The loss—over 75% of the fruit are rotting in the Sopore mandi. In
> > Seer Jagir, a village in Sopore tehsil, the team met small farmers
> > with average land holding of 4-5 acres, which produces on an
> > average 3000 boxes of apples per annum. The 30 farmers in this
> > village reported that they have lost on an average Rs 2 lakh this
> > season. Therefore, the total loss of this small village account to
> > nearly 60 lakh. The government's lackadaisical attitude in
> > ensuring supplies and its attempt to deny the 'blockade' led to
> > feeling of ill-will in Kashmir.
> >
> > 4. Firing incidents (11-14th August) were unprovoked and aimed to kill
> > The team investigated 15 cases of deaths that occurred on account
> > of firing by CRPF and JK police between 11 and 14 August. The
> > actual death toll is estimated to be above 30. The findings show a
> > clear pattern: (a) The firings were aimed to kill. This was
> > evident from eye witness accounts which showed that the firings
> > were indiscriminate and aimed directly at the crowd. At Paribal,
> > near Bandipura town on 12th August the RR and JK police fired on
> > the crowd from above the hill where the 15 RR camp is located. (b)
> > A large number of deaths resulted from injuries in the abdomen,
> > chest, head or upper or lower back. The same was confirmed by
> > hospital records. (c) In some cases, as at Lasjen on 12 August,
> > protesters were deceived into by an assurance of allowing peaceful
> > procession and then resorting to firing. Three people were killed
> > including one 50 year old woman and six others received bullet
> > injuries.
> >
> > 5.  Attacks on those Injured
> > The total number of people injured in the period between 11 and 14
> > August is not clearly established. However, at SMHS hospital
> > alone, over 500 patients were admitted in the same period. The
> > team met families and those injured and killed in the attacks. We
> > were repeatedly told that the security forces never tried to reach
> > the injured to hospital. Worse, vehicles carrying injured to
> > hospital were routinely attacked. Hospital sources claim that a
> > number of ambulances were attacked. The same is confirmed by news
> > reports today and the health department has threatened to stop
> > ambulance services given the injuries received by ambulance
> > drivers. Our team was told that in Lasjen, even those carrying
> > dead bodies back from the hospital were attacked on 12th August.
> > Elsewhere, in Bandipora the same was reported. The van carrying
> > Mehrajuddin Kakh, injured in the Bandipura killing on 12 August,
> > was attacked by CRPF and STF at Parimpora. Not only were the occupants
> > attacked, Mehrajuddin's thigh injury was brutalized by twisting a
> > lathi in it. He died the same night. Equally, Imran Ahmed Wani who
> > was injured in the Bagi Mehtab firing on 12 August was
> > deliberately refused ambulance service for nearly two hours. In
> > fact, when he did get into one, it was attacked at Rambagh Pul. He
> > was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
> >
> > 6.  Attack on the SMHS hospital, Srinagar
> > What is unbelievable is the attack on SMHS Hospital on 11 and 12
> > August successively. The SMHS hospital received the largest number
> > of casualties. When doctors were trying to conduct emergency
> > operations at break-neck speed in order to save lives, the
> > Casualty was attacked with tear gas shells followed by firing live
> > bullets. The firing was again repeated on 12 August. It is the
> > dedication of doctors, paramedic staff, ambulance drivers and
> > timely arranging of bandages, gauze and cotton by the medical
> > representatives, at the risk of their own lives, that managed to
> > save a large number of lives. The doctors also confirmed that the
> > help received by the ordinary people in saving the lives of those
> > injured was remarkable. People helped the medical staff in
> > transporting the wounded to the OT, aided in tending treatment in
> > the Casualty and arranged vans and ambulances to carry them to the
> > different hospitals in the city and elsewhere.
> >
> > 7.  Attacks on Funeral Processions
> > Funeral processions were repeatedly attacked in many places as
> > large numbers of people marched with the bier to the graveyards.
> > The team was told that the funeral procession of Ishfaq Ahmed
> > Kana, shot dead at Qamarwari Chowk, Srinagar on 11 August, to the
> > Idgah Martyrs Memorial was attacked by the CRPF with lathis and
> > rubber bullets. In Baghi Mahtab, Javed Ahmed Mir's funeral
> > procession was attacked and one person was killed in the firing.
> > Other protest demonstrations protesting against the killings were
> > also attacked. For instance, the protest demonstration following
> > the shooting of Owais Majeed Zarga in Rainawari, Srinagar on 12th
> > August was attacked by the Kashmir police stationed outside the
> > office of the local MLA, Mhd Shahid. Two boys were injured in the
> > firing.
> >
> > 8.  Raids and Attacks on Residents:
> > During the evening of 13 and 14 August, security forces engaged in
> > an indiscriminate and large-scale attack on houses in localities
> > close to the firings, thrashing people and smashing window panes.
> > At Safakadal, Srinagar, residents showed how their houses and a
> > nearby mosque were attacked by the CRPF. At Lasjen, JK police and
> > CRPF personnel entered houses to thrash people. Relatives were
> > forcibly prevented from accessing homes of deceased and women
> > relatives at the house of Imtiaz Rahim, who died in the firing,
> > showed us the marks of brutality at the hands of the security
> > forces.
> >
> > 9. FIRs: Refusals and Distortions:
> > In most cases, the families have not registered any FIRs against
> > the security forces as they fear going to the police station or
> > that it would invite further violence. Where families of those
> > killed were able to go to police stations after many days, they
> > found that FIRs were already lodged stating that the protestors
> > attacked security forces who in turn were forced to open fire.
> > When families tried to get their version recorded, the same was
> > refused. Complaints are rejected. In the case of the Bagi Mahtab
> > killings where the families of the deceased (Javed Ahmed Mir and
> > Imran Ahmed Wani) were given a totally false version of the
> > happenings in the FIR. When challenged, the police said that the
> > families must come ten days later with 4 eye witnesses to
> > corroborate their story. This refusal even to receive complaints
> > is tantamount to making the security forces judges of their own
> > actions.
> > 10. Present Curfew and Developments
> > On 24 August, Kashmir was greeted by indefinite curfew when it
> > woke up in the morning. Within a few hours four media persons, on
> > their way to office had been badly beaten up at Rambagh by the
> > CRPF. The identity cards and passes issued during the last phase
> > of curfew presented by the journalists were rejected. Mr Bilal,
> > bureau chief of Sahara Samay was admitted to the Bone and Joints
> > hospital and later to the SMHS hospital. By evening, security
> > forces opened fire in Dal Gate area killing one person and
> > critically injuring another. Homes of political leaders were
> > raided and some arrested. In the rural areas, the army threatened
> > local imams, nambardars and chowkidars on 24 August that they
> > would be held responsible if people dared to join in the
> > procession to Lal Chowk. Over the last two days, the curfew has
> > lad to at least seven people being killed in firing by security
> > forces and over 275 injured in various parts of Kashmir valley.
> > Essential supplies to Srinagar city, such as medicines, water
> > tankers and milk, have been blocked and this 'blockade' has been
> > done at the instance of the CRPF. The entire control of land and
> > order in Srinagar city has all been handed over to the CRPF and
> > news reports have suggested that the local police have also been
> > beaten by the CRPF.
> > CONCLUSION
> > The investigation team is of the opinion that the firing,
> > brutality, loss of life was not only wholly avoidable but done
> > deliberately. The disruption of road traffic to Kashmir needed to
> > be recognized by the government and addressed. The resort to
> > curfew after the firing on 11 August denied the people a right to
> > protest and be heard. Additionally, the curfew provided the
> > security forces the power to open fire with impunity. A number of
> > extremely inhuman crimes were committed by the security forces by
> > denying and obstructing medical aid to the injured, attacking the
> > injured and most seriously by launching an attack on the SMHS
> > hospital. No existing law in the country provides immunity to
> > police and security forces for such crimes. The lack of any action
> > against these forces even where the crimes are established by eye-
> > witnesses and reported in newspapers, makes people lose whatever
> > faith in the government that may have remained after decades of
> > army rule.
> > Despite these happenings, the people of Kashmir have shown
> > exemplary restraint and ensured that all processions and public
> > gatherings after the lifting of curfew remain wholly peaceful.
> > This situation should have been utilized to initiate political
> > dialogue instead of the visit by the National Security Advisor.
> > The imposition of curfew to prevent another such pre-declared
> > peaceful mass gathering can only be seen as an invitation to
> > another bloody attack on protestors and serves as a message to the
> > people of Kashmir that the Indian government would not tolerate
> > peaceful and unarmed protest.
> >
> > WE DEMAND
> > 1.             Immediate lifting of the curfew and restoration of
> > ample space to people to peaceably collect and voice their demands.
> > 2.             Criminal charges be registered against those
> > responsible for attacks on injured people, ambulances and
> > hospitals as well as widespread damage to houses.
> > 3.             Peoples complaints concerning arbitrary and
> > indiscriminate use of fire by security forces be registered and
> > the culprits brought to book.
> > 4.             Law and order duties be immediately restored to the
> > police in Srinagar and all forces be made ot work 'in aid of civil
> > power' as required by law.
> > 5.             The situation of the peaceful expression of peoples
> > demands be utilized to initiate a political dialogue, the
> > political establishment is duty-bound to do so when people in such
> > large numbers are voicing these.
> >
> >
> > Harish Dhawan
> > Secretary, PUDR
> > On behalf of
> > People's Democratic Forum (PDF), Karnataka
> > Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC), Andhra Pradesh
> > Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), Jammu and Kashmir
> > People's Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR), Delhi
> >
> >
> >
> >
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