HR groups’ silence over civilian killings worst: Lt Gen DP Pandey

Srinagar: General Officer Commanding 15 Corps, Lt Gen D P Pandey on Wednesday said that Human Rights bodies’ “deafening silence” over recent civilian killings was worst.

The worst is the deafening silence of the local, national and international HR groups and media houses over the civilian killings and similar HR violations perpetrated over three decades in J&K, Lt Gen Pandey said in his opening remarks at a seminar on ‘HR violations committed by the militants during past three decades’.

   

“They would cry hoarse to all and sundry, including United Nations, for even periodic cuts in the internet, as denial of human rights. Even though these cuts prevented human tragedies through orchestrated, compelled or paid street violence by gullible 14-15 years old,” he said.

He said that “white collar terrorists” are more dangerous. “Orchestrated by Pakistan affiliates through White Collar Terrorists, who are more dangerous than a criminal or a terrorist, are not these killings denial of HR of affected families?” he asked.

“A young adopted Muslim girl lost her foster mother in Mrs Supinder Kaur, while entire Govt Boys Higher Secondary School at Eidgah, Srinagar lost its Principal, a teacher and the students introduced to the environment of fear, where they will see the spots of killing forever.

“What about the HR of family of Makhan Lai Bindroo, who lost their father, husband and bread winner?” he questioned.

“What about Muhammad Shafi Lone of Shahgund, President Local Taxi Drivers Association, who was killed on 05 Oct 2021,” he asked, adding that Lone has eight family members, old aged mother and father, 3 brothers, 2 sisters and a wife. “Don t they have any human rights?”

While, Lt Gen Pandey said that security forces should be held accountable but why are HR proponents silent over these civilian killings.

“HR organisations led by a nexus can implicate security forces on trumped up charges of HR violations to hype the passion of the population. The same is not true of HR violations perpetuated by the nexus for fear of retribution,” he said, adding while the local population may stay quiet but the leaders of HR organisations and media houses can at least speak up the subject “from relative safety of distance from valley”.

“Denial of basic human rights such as daily economic activity particularly of daily wagers, small shopkeepers, taxi owners, bus drivers, street hawkers, tourist guides and even mule drivers whose very survival depends on routine population movement that is stalled by protests and bandhs under societal pressure, majority of the population remains mute wherein a small segment of privileged class thrives on an agenda of palpable fear through gullible teenage youth,” he said, adding that bandhs and protests ensure closure of school and colleges thus denying fundamental right of education to students who want to attend classes.

“Possibly the only segment that benefits are the salaried class who get to stay at home or the nexus affiliates, paid sufficiently, to ensure that their children study and live South of Peer Panjal range or abroad,” he said.

“So is the case of denial of basic human rights to women nearly 50% of the population. Imagine a young girl’s band ‘Pragash’ was hankered in 2013 while the modern and metropolitan Kashmiri society watched silently.”

“An army of trolls from within the Kashmir valley led by social media terrorists from Pakistan and abroad went after the young women who participated in various arts and cultural shows earlier this year,” he said. “So much so, the goons of TRF, a pseudonym for LeT issued threats to girls wearing trousers and no one condemned or raised rights issues of women.”

“Therefore women will be oppressed, people who don’t obey the diktat of the nexus will be killed, children orphaned and wives widowed, a poor labourer, a diligent Principal, a loving teacher, a family man taxi driver, either Hindu, Muslim or Sikh even though unarmed and not even associated with SFs will be killed on streets,” Lt Gen Pandey said.

“A police man after doing his duty, having attended to sermons in a mosque, while visiting his family on leave will be killed by cowards on payrolls of anti-social and regressive elements,” he said.

“These acts of violence committed by State/ Non State actors will continue if not treated as HR violations. These State/ Non State actors are required to be held accountable.”

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