Separatists welcome; Mainstream parties pass buck to each other

Srinagar: Reacting to ‘India 2013 Human Rights Report” published by US state department, wherein the human rights abuse and alleged denial to hold protest rallies in Jammu and Kashmir has been mentioned in detail the pro-freedom leadership on Saturday appreciated the findings while as the mainstream parties passed the buck to each other.

Asking US and the international community not to confine their role to issuance of statements over Kashmir’s Human Rights abuses, Chairman Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Geelani maintained that the international community must play its role on the diplomatic front for the Kashmir resolution. “The report is a welcome sign but at the same time we have to accept that India has never taken these reports seriously and it is hell-bent upon inflicting gross human rights abuses.”

The senior separatist leader told KNS over phone that the world community raised concerns in the past as well over the increasing human rights volitions but the statements have done no good to the people of the ‘troubled’ land. The Hurriyat chief while castigating the authorities over ‘imposing’ curbs over the movement of the pro-freedom leaders accused that the just leadership here is continuously being pushed to the wall.  “My appeal to the world community is that they must act on the diplomatic front for the resolution of Kashmir in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people of the state.”

Chairman Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq while terming the report a ‘welcome’ sign stated that the concerns of the world community towards the sufferings of the people of Kashmir must be appreciated.  “The report that was recently released by the US secretary of state vindicates that the world is maintaining a close vigil over the situation of the state and it is hoped that it will take the serious note of the situation here in which the democratic institutions are being undermined and the just voice of people is being crushed with the military might.” Mirwaiz added that it is hoped that the contents of the report shall be looked into with the serious approach and that other international organizations would peruse the matter.

Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Mohammad Yasin Malik while appreciating the concerns of US over gross HR abuses told KNS that the report is a welcome step and that United States must not remain a mute spectator over the curbs being imposed on the peaceful protest demonstrations. “It is US that played the vital role for the emergence of non-violent struggle in Kashmir and it must take a serious note of the situation in which peaceful voice of leaders and people here is being crushed every day.”

The JKLF chief maintained further that US must pursue the contents of the report so that peaceful democratic struggle of the people for their birth right in Kashmir could sustain. “There is an issue of unmarked graves, we have Bijbehara massacre, we have the incidents of Sopore and Machil and what not but the probes into the issues are only ordered to normalize the situation and later the findings of the probe are thrown in the dust bin.”

Malik added that the world community must take the serious note on disappearances in Kashmir and it is the only crises in the world wherein in the wife of the disappeared people cannot say whether they are widows or and similarly it has the disastrous effect on the children in Kashmir.

Among the mainstream parties, senior Congress leader and a cabinet minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din told KNS that he has not read the report and hence cannot comment on its content pertaining to the state.

National Conference while holding Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSAP) responsible for the Human rights violations in the state, maintained that the law confers powers to the armed forces without accountability. ”Until AFSPA is not revoked- we cannot stop the HR abuses in Kashmir,” said senior NC leader and Parliament member Mehboob Beg. He added that he continuously has been raising voice in the parliament about the AFSPA revocation and that the chief minister Omar Abdullah has been continuously perusing the case while using the democratic forums. “As far as the curbs on the movement of separatist leaders are concerned, it is done on the bases of the maintenance of the law and order in the state.”

Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) while reacting to the report stated that it is undeniable that there are Human rights crises in the state and that if others have said it is natural. “It is painful that there is no accountability for the government forces and even the cases like Pathribal have been closed in the interest of the so called national interest,” said PDP chief spokesman Naeem Akhtar, adding that there is no violation of any kind that is not committed in the state.

Akhtar maintained that the free space is being denied to the people of the state which is one major reason of alienation and separatism. “We believe that putting curbs on those who carry on a campaigning for independence or its other variants have right to profess what they do in peaceful means. Ideas have to be addressed with better and more creative ideas- that is what our party believes in and is trying to promote.” (KNS)