With the rise of insurgency in the early 1990s the government and security forces came up with the measures to curb it. However, it was because of the counter-insurgency operations that the human rights abuse rose in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Abductions, rapes and cold-blooded murders became a common phenomenon where people from the security forces, even high ranking officials, were reportedly involved. The recent report ‘Alleged Perpetrators: Stories of Impunity in Jammu and Kashmir’ by the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) and International People’s Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice alleges that the security persons were involved in the human rights violations in the valley. The report accounts the human rights abuse spanning over 23 years of conflict in J & K.
The report mentions names of around 500 officers from various security agencies for being involved in the 214 cases of human rights violations. The fact about how entrenched is the abuse can be understood from the fact that many high ranking officials are involved. Had it been something related to the individual behaviour of the persons, there would not have been the involvement of brigadiers, major generals, etc. Hence the gravity of the human rights violations can be understood from the fact that it is in the top-down order. The report alleges that among the alleged accusers are two major generals and three brigadiers of Indian Army, besides nine colonels, three lieutenant colonels, 78 majors and 25 captains. Joining them are 37 senior officials of federal paramilitary forces, a recently retired director general of J & K police and a serving inspector general.
Though human rights abuse in itself is something serious and shocking but what is more shocking is the attitude of the government and their indifference to such inhuman and inhumane actions. The report says that the government has refrained from taking any step against the guilty officers and shielded them from any legal prosecution. The report further says that besides clear proofs and evidences the government did not take any action and turned a blind eye to their heinous actions. No trial happened and besides the legal protection to the guilty officers they were given political and moral protection as well. The report has been sent to the Chief Minister of J & K and the Prime Minister.
Though the human rights violations have continued to take place in the state of J & K for the last two decades yet it is for the first time that an independent group of legal experts and activists have named the top security officials for their involvement in human rights violations.