Karachi, August 28, 2018 : The South Asia Director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), Meenakshi Ganguly, has urged the Indian leaders to admit that human rights violations are taking place in Kashmir and they must work with Pakistan to find a solution that safeguard the interests of the Kashmiris.
The South Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, the rights activist Meenakshi Ganguly, speaking to Vaqas Asghar, host of the Tribune 24/7 programme “Media Watch”, said it is about time to realise that Kashmiris are living in a conflict zone and suffering human rights violations.
She urged the Indian leadership to admit perpetration of blatant human rights violations in Kashmir. Meenakshi Ganguly pointed out that any kind of dissent and criticism was treated as anti-India, leading to crackdowns on people in Kashmir adding that there was no reason for the Armed Forces Special Powers Act to exist and there was evidence that it led to violations of human rights.
She said that the Indian government had rejected reports by the Amnesty International and OHCHR (Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights) recently issued on atrocities being committed by the Indian forces in Kashmir. “Once again we find out that Kashmiris are the ones having to pay the price for the political battle that goes between India and Pakistan,” she said and stressed that the focus should be diverted to protect the rights of the Kashmiri people.
On the misuse of powers given to the Indian troops under draconian law, Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the HRW official said that the international organizations like the UN as well as the groups and commissions, formed under the Indian government and mandated to try and find solution to the Kashmir dispute, had also appealed to the government to repeal the Act. “There is no reason for this law to exist and there is evidence that it led to violations of human rights,” she added.
Meenakshi Ganguly pointed out that any kind of dissent and criticism is treated as anti-India and there are crackdowns on people who speak out in occupied Kashmir. “This is really really unfortunate because unless the government is responding to these calls for justice, there will continue to be a cycle of violence against innocent women and children protesting on the streets of Kashmir,” she said.
The HRW official expressed concern over the increasing communal violence by pro-BJP vigilantes against religious minorities in India. When asked if Kashmir was also a victim to such more violence promoting Hindu supremacy and ultra-nationalism recently, she said, “For a very long time Kashmir was not looked through the religious prism but unfortunately more recently the fact that Kashmiris are Muslims is used to criticise them and to deny them their rights.” sources agencies