Srinagar, February 23 (KNO) : Joint Resistance Leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Dr Mohammad Umar Farooq and Alhaj Mohammad Yasin Malik on Friday reiterated demand for impartial investigation into the Kunan Poshapora mass rape. Referring to Kunan Poshpora tragedy, JRL said that this heart wrenching incident is a living proof of the state terrorism and fascism of India in Kashmir and it can be assumed that how-grave war crimes are committed by the occupational forces in Jammu & Kashmir.
JRL in their appeal to UN Secretary General asked to initiate investigation in Kunan Poshpora and other incidents in occupied state by the UN War Crime Tribunal, saying it is the moral duty of international community to investigate these cases and help declare the perpetrators as war criminals. Indian forces are involved in war crimes as were Serbs in Bosnia and in Kosovo,” they added. Scores of women including elderly and minors were sexually assaulted on the intervening night of 23rd and 24th February,1991 by 4, Rajputana Rifles and 68 Mountain Brigade, JRL said. The mass rape in Kunan Poshapora was not the first incident of its kind but humiliation of women folk by Indian forces in state continues for the last 27 years, added JRL.
New Delhi despite clear proof, evidences and reports from local authorities did not take any notice of it. Instead, it encourages its armed personnel to indulge in such cases and used it (rape) as a weapon of war,” the statement said. Referring to statement of then Home Minister and BJP leader L K Advani, the JRL said that, he is on record to have said the forces could not be prosecuted as it may affect their morale while dealing with their enemies. “The government forces as well as other state institutions have no constitutional or legal obligation or binding and nor are they accountable for their wrongdoings of armed forces, said JRL and added that state government has till date failed to do anything substantial in this regard.
Actually, it is Ministry of Home which runs the affairs in Jammu and Kashmir and they are least bothered about such inhuman incidents,” JRL said. Lamenting at local authorities, the JRL said that they tried their every attempt to hush-up and for this not only the occupational forces of India are creating hurdles but the successive state governments including NC and PDP also played a criminal role in this regard and till date they have never made any sincere attempt to register any case against culprits, they said.
JRL said that whether it was NC, Congress or the PDP in the power, everybody tried to conceal the Kunan-Poshpora incident. Referring to the recent rape case of a minor in Kathua, JRL said, “there is no let-up in offences against women and it is because of criminal silence maintained by international community that such inhuman incident continue to take place in Jammu Kashmir.” They stressed for investigation in offenses against women in occupied Kashmir ,saying “it is the moral duty of international community to investigate these cases as Indian forces are involved in war crimes as were Serbs in Bosnia and in Kosovo,” they added. (KNO)