Wandhama Massacre ! Some Questions remain unanswered ! #Kashmir

To,

 

The Honorable Members of Division Bench

J&KState Human Rights Commission,

Srinagar

 

Subject:       Rejoinder to the submission by SP Human Rights of CID, J&K Police regarding Wandhama massacre investigation

 

On the last hearing on 29.08.2012 we have been provided with the letter of SP Human Rights of CID Headquarters vide letter no: CID/HR/SHRC-250/2008 dated: 27/01/2012. We would like to submit the following as our arguments in response to this letter:

 

1.       The CID department alleges that the massacre of 23 Kashmiri Pandits was carried out by “some unknown militants” and based on the suspicion of the locals people it was ascertained that militants of Harkat-ul-Ansar were responsible for this brutal massacre.

 

2.       The CID department further claims that on 17th February 1998 hills of Safapora were cordoned and 6 militants of Harkat-ul-Ansar were killed and 1 was apprehended after being injured. The injured militant on being interrogated according to CID department divulged the details regarding the involvement of 21 members of Harkat-ul-Ansar in the killing of victims of Wandhama massacre. As per this CID communiqué the injured militant before his death on 24th February 1998 also informed the Police about CaptainShair Khan, the Commander of Harkat-ul-Ansar who ordered the massacre of Kashmiri pundits.

 

3.        As per CID letter later 13 other foreign militants who were also involved in the killings of Kashmiri Pandits of Wandhama were killed.

 

4.       The CID department should furnish the copies of FIRs and investigation reports under which they claim that these foreign militants were killed in encounters with armed forces. Based on this CID response there should be two FIRs where the killings of these foreign militants has been registered and investigated.

 

5.       If the police have filed FIRs regarding the encounters in which these foreign militants were killed then surely police would have identified these foreign militants responsible for killing victims of Wandhama massacre. We urge that the Police should be asked to provide list of these 20 foreign militants killed and the place where they have been buried.

 

6.       According to the CID department’s letter the statement of the injured militant who later died in the hospital is crucial, as that forms the basis of the police investigation regarding the Wandhama massacre. Therefore we request SHRC to order the police department to submit the statement of that injured militant and also the officers responsible for carrying out that investigation and recording that statement should be asked to depose before this Honorable Commission.

 

7.       According to this CID department response 20 foreign militants have been killed who were involved in the Wandhama massacre, while as, as per the statement of the injured militant questioned by Police, there were 21 militants involved in the massacre, which means that there is still one person who has not been brought to justice. We urge this Honorable Commission to ascertain from the police department regarding that one militant.

 

8.       If the injured militant has named the Commander of the Harkat-ul-Ansar who ordered the massacre, then surely he would have also identified the other 6 militants who were shot on 17th February 1998 along with him and also would have identified the names of the other 14 persons involved in the heinous crime.

 

9.       It needs to be ascertained what is the basis on which police claims that the 13 other foreign militants who were later killed were also involved in the Wandhama massacre.

 

10.     It also needs to be ascertained besides these 20 foreign militants which police claims were involved in the massacre, who was the 1 militant who was neither killed nor apprehended by the police so far.

 

11.     We do not think police has done the needful in terms of punishing the culprits responsible for the Wandhama massacre, instead we believe that Police department with very little evidence on record cannot conclusively prove that those 20 foreign militants killed were involved in Wandhama massacre. Also with lack of credible investigation the police department has closed the case as untraced even when according to their own admission the one more militant responsible for massacre is at large.

 

12.     We urge SHRC to order its own Police Investigation Wing to carry out a thorough investigation into Wandhama massacre, which will help in ascertaining the identities of the culpable and bringing them to justice, besides this investigation would help in instilling the confidence of the Kashmiri minorities.

 

Yours Sincerely,

Sanjay K. Tickoo

President

Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti

Date : 10-09-2012

Panun Kashmir disappointed with Amnesty International

PANUN KASHMIR

H.No-172, Sec. 3,  E.W.S Colony, Lower Roop Nagar, Jammu-13

Tele: 0191-2593166

Ref:…. PS/37-2010                                                                   Dated: 24/5/2010

Brief of the statement issued on 24 . 5 . 2010 during the  press conference addressed by Dr. Ajay Chrungoo Chairman Panun Kashmir,  Sh. O.N. Trisal President (ASKPSC)  & Sh. Kuldeep Raina General Secretary Panun Kashmir at Jammu.

Panun Kashmir states emphatically that the first visit of Amnesty International has been a totally disappointing experience for the Hindu Community of Kashmir.

The way the Amnesty International has conducted itself during their recent visit to Kashmir Valley has given an ample demonstration that their visit to Kashmir Valley has been guided more by political considerations than any concern for Human Rights.

Amnesty International for a long time has been having only a state specific agenda and has cared little for assessing, evaluating and commenting on the role of non-state actors in committing human rights violations and unleashing genocidal wars in the territories of their influence and control. By deliberately choosing to ignore the involvement of non-state actors Amnesty International has eventually served only the cause of those who are leading relentless campaigns of religious and ethnic cleansing and are destroying the plural texture of societies.

By persisting with its state specific agenda Amnesty International has not been able to dispel the doubts about it being essentially an instrument of foreign policy of those who want to subvert the independence of India and destroy its national unity.

Amnesty international during its maiden visit conveniently chose to side track the issue of religious cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus, as it has over the years chosen to ignore the genocide of Hindus living in Pakistan and Bangladesh and Hindus of Pak Occupied Kashmir. The first priority for any human rights organization would have been to visit the state and meet these people. For Amnesty International despicably it has never been a priority.

Outraging the sensitivities of victims of religious cleansing Amnesty International sought the audience and cooperation of such leaders of Islamist Jihad and political terrorism like Ali Shah Geelani and Yasin Malik who stand in the same dock in which the fascist war criminals of Germany and the perpetrators of crimes against humanity in Eastern Europe are placed.

We want to clearly state that the human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir , which the representatives of Amnesty international came to assess, are mainly the violations committed by Jihadi terrorist groups against the whole community of Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir who were subjected to genocide and extermination.

We also want to state without mincing words that the human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir are a whole process of excesses and oppression for which the religious wars, ideological states and war groups waging Jihad are responsible. If the Amnesty International refuses to recognize the real content and character of the human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir and seeks to politicize resistance against the Jihad and international terrorism, it is actually trying to put the human rights movement upside down.

Panun Kashmir recognizes that human rights violations are clearly defined by universal Declaration of human rights and the international covenants on Human Rights. Amnesty international, by its actions, is trying to redefine human rights, primarily to play international politics. Amnesty International has no right to camaflouge the genocide and the ethnic extermination of Kashmiri Hindus by the Jihadi groups and terrorist regimes operating in Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir.

Panun Kashmir also strongly disapproves the action of government of India to allow the Amnesty International to visit Kashmir after having rightly denied it the permission to do so far last two decades.

S.K. Handoo

Press Secretary