Truth behind J&K fake encounters Pawan Bali CNN-IBN http://www.ibnlive.com/news/ghastly-truth-of-jk-fake-encounters/top/32860-3.html
*Jammu:* As the bodies of civilians killed in bogus encounters tumbled out in Kashmir last week, long forgotten cases of youths missing since the onset of militancy came out of the closet. The state government recently listed 1,017 youths—either detained or arrested by the police—missing since 1990. Mohammad Hussain, a civilian searching for his son Farid Ahmad Malik for the past 13-year tells Farid was a shopkeeper who was allegedly picked up by security forces on July 4, 1994. On what charges was he detained, authorities refused to answer till date. No one, from the police to the armed forces, knows what happened to Farid and whether he is dead or alive. "We keep hoping he'll return some day. It's been 13 years. If there were any law and order, why would this happen?" says Doda resident Mohammad Hussain. Similar story is that of Nuzhat and her five sisters who recall the day when their 23-year-old brother Mohammad Saleem Zargar, a contractor was taken away in 1995. For 12 years now, the family has been struggling for news of Mohammed, even if it means news of his death. "If he is dead, at least they should inform me about it. They could have handed over his dead body to us at least," says Doda resident Nuzhat Shaheen. Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad playing safe on the issue says, "It is not possible for me to go back and dig up every grave to find who has been killed." "I can only look into the cases that have happened during my regime," he added. The All Parties Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called for a general strike in Kashmir to protest the Ganderbal fake encounters. The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) has also joined call for a strike in the valley. JKLF Chief Yaseen Malik will go on a three-day hunger strike to protest what they term as human rights violations and extra judicial killings of J&K civilians. The valley has been up in arms for more than a week now as a J&K Police probe indicted its own men for killing civilians and passing them off as militants. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for the reclamation of human personality." - Dr BR Ambedkar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ greenyouth mailinglist is the activist support mailinglist for kerala run by Global Alternate Information Applications (GAIA) To post to this group, send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
