Men Were Taken Out First

According to Aziz Shah, the village revenue collector, his daughter-in-law, Halima, wile of his son Ghulam Rasool in the J&K police was subjected harassment and torture, He was tied with rope and thrown into a stream of water after interrogation. After that he was kept out in the cold along with many others.

Similarly, the PHRO team heard Shamala (35) wife of Mohammed Sabir Daar, Sameera (22) daughter Sara (15) who were likewise made victims by the army jawans of their sexual lust.

During the investigation, it was found that all the healthy young men (16-40 years) were taken into custody and under the pretext of interrogation they were subjected to severe torture. The purpose, it seems was to provide free hand to the soldiers who were “eating” with the womenfolk at their homes.

One such victim was Mohd Akbar son of Ghulam Mohd who, 100 was taken to the interrogation center and given electric shocks, told the team that his 16 year old cousin and 25-year-old brothers wife Khatooni were “violated by the beasts” of the Indian army. Yet another torture victim, Khaliq Daar son of Hassan Daar stated that his wife and two virgin daughters were forcibly made victims of sexual lust by the drunken army men. Their clothes were torn which were later given to the police along with two empty bottles of liquor left there by the soldiers.

CONCLUSIONS

(1) The sexual assault collectively by Indian army on the hapless Kashmiri Muslim women belonging to Kunan Poshpora village is a matter of fact which cannot be called into question;

(2) The Indian state is fully behind the wrong-doing as is proved by its failure to hold any credible investigation and to punish the guilty for a year now;

(3) The Indian state encourages as matter of policy, similar behavior on the part of security forces in respect of other minority Communities elsewhere Punjab Assam and other minority region and communities;

The Indian state dies not hesitate to misuse the credibility of such organizations as the Press Council of India to white wash its black deeds in Kashmir,

(5) Indias democratic institutions such as the Press Council are willing tools in the hands of the security forces motivated mainly by Hindu fundamentalism under cover of patriotic cries of unity and integrity of the country;

(6) Men and women from minority communities such as Giani Zail Singh, Buta Singh, RS. Sarkaria, Harchand Singh Longowal, B.G. Verghese, Mufti Mohammad Sayed, Surjit Singh Barnala, Jaya Lalitha, Amrinder Singh, etc,,etc are hired to present  a camouflage “front” of the Indian sates;

(7) Notwithstanding this preponderant reality, there are decent men and women in Indian society who are ashamed of the misdeeds of the Indian state, are concerned about Hindu fundamentalism and stand for human rights and civilized behavior.

G.S. Gill Chairman

Article extracted from this publication >> March 27, 1992