SRINAGAR: Indian security forces have repeated their aggressive actions of January at Sopore on May 2. The government in a briefing to the media admitted that 55 more houses had been burnt down in the apple town.
The government’s version is that militants fired rockets and guns on Indian security pickets at Ningli, Sheikh Colony, Cement Bridge and Hathishah areas of Sopore on Saturday night. As a result adjoining buildings caught fire and as many as 55 houses were gutted.
There is no immediate version from the Kashmiri people owing to media restrictions imposed by India. It may be recalled that Indian security forces in January had indulged in extensive aggression on the Kashmiris at Sopore, raped women and killed several Kashmiris and set fire to their houses. This had led to an international fur ore and the Indian government had set up an enquiry commission to go into the matter. That commission has yet to submit its report.
Meanwhile, several leaders of the Jammu and Kashmir national conference on Sunday met governor Krishna Rao and said that the present situation in Kashmir had been the result of Indian government’s dictatorial attitude towards Kashmir. The leaders asked India to permit international human rights organizations to send their representatives to Kashmir to investigate charges of human rights Violations by Indian security forces.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 7, 1993
