SRINAGAR: “Al-Mohasib Semmu and Kashmir,” an independent observer, has collected statistical data pertaining to the Casualties and arrests in the crackdown against the militants in the Valley and other areas. The group has also come out with figures of casualties in the clashes among the guerrilla groups.

According to these statistics, Militants attacked security forces 2,008 times during the last year. Of these, 1,038 attacks were made by the pro-Pakistan Misbul Mujahideen alone. Nine hundred and eighty-eight militants were also killed during these attacks, 600 of them from this group alone. The data makes interesting news when these figures are read against the background of 28 powerful groups engaged in insurgency. The table says 50 persons were “killed during inter-group clashes” “among, the militants during the same period. Besides, 24 persons were Killed in bomb blasts and 119 vehicles Were torched by militants. According to these statistics, 83 informers,” had been killed by militants. Over 500 had “died” in the custody of the security forces, 300 women were “gang-raped, two of them died after the incidents five persons shown as killed by the “my serious ghosts” during this time, 241 people are shown as having been killed in mysterious circumstances. The killers in these cases have not been identified so far.

It is also stated in this report that 702 times, people took out small and big processions against the arrest of persons caught during 34,87 crackdown operations. Although the officials have all along been maintaining that no innocent person has been arrested, there is no denying the fact that the majority of persons arrested during these operations were later released giving a lie to the official claim.

The figures received by “Al Mohasib is not exactly in conformity with those of the Government whose data has largely been concentrated 2round the ‘reportage of inter-group clashes of the militants. The tendency by the administration to dismiss as “motivated” whatever information is published against it, is viewed by ‘analysts as unhealthy.

 

Article extracted from this publication >> June 10, 1994