Army Made 18 Assassination Bids On My Life, Claims Geelani

Alleging that the Army has made "18 assassination bids” on his life since 1996, Chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Monday said the Army man caught with a pistol at his rally in Sopore last Friday had been sent to "murder him or cause a stampede by firing".

Addressing a press conference at his Hyderpora residence, Geelani said that his party has lodged a complaint with the Sopore police for FIR against the army.

“There could have been only two motives for the Army to send its armed man in civvies to our peaceful rally: either it wanted to eliminate me or cause a stampede hoping that it would prove fatal for me or the common people present there. Later, the police would have blamed the militants for the attack,” Geelani said.

Geelani said the Sopore incident was the 18th attempt on his life by army , beginning with a rocket attack on his Hyderpora residence in 1996. “After the rocket attack, an army officer called one of our neighbours and asked if I had died in the attack,” Geelani said.

“He used the words ‘Kya Kute ki Dukan Band Hogayi (Has the dog been finished?)” Geelani alleged.

Geelani said the ID card recovered from the man caught by people at his rally identified him as Naik Kamlesh Kumar Mishra.

“I told the people to hand him over to the police but instead of registering an FIR against him, the police has registered a case against dozen innocent youth from Sopore who were present at the peaceful rally,” Geelani said.

Geelani said he was aware of the presence of “agencies” at his rallies or gatherings but the Sopore incident was “a deep-rooted conspiracy to eliminate him.”

“We know there are people from different Indian agencies and police at our rallies, but I am never bothered about it because my stand on end to Indian occupation is unambiguous and known to all. However, the Sopore incident was a well-planned conspiracy to eliminate me,” he said.

He said the matter should be probed to “unveil inhumane and shameful attitude of Indian army in Kashmir."

Geelani alleged that the army wanted to repeat “another January 6, 1993 when 40 people were burnt alive and 200 houses and shops gutted by the forces after a youth snatched the gun of one of their personnel.”

“The army has developed a lust for power in Kashmir and is acting as the government here, with both the civil administration and police being under its thumb,” Geelani said, adding that Kashmir “has become a killing field for the army.”

Geelani said the army was trying to make inroads into educational institutes as well and "brave students must resist this intrusion.”

"I appeal students to be brave and tell these army officers and generals on their face that they have no right to be deliver lectures in our schools and colleges after killing, disappearing thousands of Kashmiris, burning houses and unleashing worst human rights violations on us,” he said.

In response to a query on the statement of former cricketer and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief, Imran Khan’s statement that Pakistan should put Kashmir issue on the “back burner”, Geelani said the country should stand firm on its “principled stand on Kashmir.”

|Kashmir Dispatch|

AFSPA Revocation - Army recaps opposition

We'll be handicapped : Parnaik

Amidst raging debate over Omar Abdullah government's intention to revoke Armed Forces Special Powers Act from parts of the state, Army on Thursday made its case clear saying any such move will handicap the capability of the force to conduct counter insurgency operations.

"We have a situation which has now carried on for more than 20 years and the Army requires the provisions to enable it to act... Without the provisions, the Army will be handicapped," General Officer Commanding in Chief for Northern Command Lt Gen K T Parnaik told reporters.

The Army commander, who visited this village - located on the Line of Control - in north Kashmir's Kupwara district, said removing the AFSPA from certain areas of the state will make it difficult for the Army to operate.

"It is a question of the confidence and trust that you repose in your Army. If you are removing the Act from certain areas then it will become difficult for the Army to operate in the manner we operate now," he said.

Debate over the partial revocation of AFSPA and Disturbed Areas Act, introduced in 1990 to give the Army and paramilitary forces powers to detain suspects and use deadly force began last month when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced that Acts will be revoked from parts of the state "within few days".

Lt Gen Parnaik, who was accompanied by General Officer Commanding of Srinagar based 15 Corps Lt Gen S A Hasnain, termed AFSPA as an "enabling" Act and said it was not a draconian law.

"The fact is that partial revocation from the areas may be seen as a genuine thing because there seems to be peace here. But peace is very fragile," he said. "After all we have seen one of the most peaceful summers in 2011 and that has happened with AFSPA only," he said.

He said if AFSPA is revoked from certain areas, "terrorists and inimical elements" will exploit the situation. "We don't want that to happen," he said.

Linking the revocation of AFSPA with the dismantling of the militant infrastructure across the border, Lt Gen Parnaik said it is not the "correct time" to remove the law till there is interference from Pakistan.

"We are not looking only at a few places or counter- terrorist operations or peace in few areas. It (AFSPA) has to be seen in context of the entire proxy war which is going on. The proxy war in J-K is externally abetted by Pakistan," he said.

"Therefore, we feel that unless we are able to neutralize that infrastructure and unless we are able to remove interference from Pakistan, it may not be the correct time for us to think of revoking it partially," he said.

The commander said Army was not on a confrontational path with any one and pleaded that there should be more discussions before taking a final call.

"There is no confrontation with anyone and these issues need a lot of discussions and deliberations. We have made our stance clear to the state government. I have had discussions with the high powered committee which came here for review recently and we continue to have dialogue with them," Lt Gen Parnaik said.

He said the chief minister had asked the Army to give its recommendations earlier this year.

"On our part, we have sensitised them on the manner in which it will affect our operations," he said.

"We have to see whether the AFSPA's revocation is a matter of security or political dispensation. It will all happen after discussions with the people who are concerned," he said.

Open Letter To The People of India By An Indian

By: An Indian

Let us assume India is a great nation. Let us assume values of justice, equality and human dignity are paramount in this country. Let us assume rule of law prevails here. Let us assume India is world’s largest “democracy”. Let us assume Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Let us assume India and itspeople feel for Kashmiris. Let us assume Kashmiris are not the second class “subjects” meant to be denounced, demonized and condemned. Let us assume India has a free and fair media. And now let us also assume you did not know anything about what your will read below:

Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (JKSHRC) has recommended a fresh probe into the case of alleged mass rape of women by army personnel in Kunan and Poshpora villages of the frontier district of Kupwara.

A division bench of JKSHRC has asked the state government to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by an officer of rank not less than an SP to re investigate the alleged mass rape of at least 31 women by army personnel in 1991. decades ago.

Over two dozen women from the villages had claimed that they were gangraped by army personnel during the intervening night of February 23 and 24 in 1991, leading to a huge outrage across Kashmir.

The commission has also asked the state government to put on trial former Director Prosecution who had sought closure of the case as the perpetrators were “untraceable”. According to the Commission, ex-Director Prosecution had “overstepped his brief” and, therefore, prosecution proceedings should be initiated against him and those officers who had approved his report.

Quoting the report of then district magistrate, the commission said the medical examination of 31 women had confirmed they were assaulted.

JKSHRC has been hearing the case since 2004 and during the last seven years, it recorded statements of 18 victims who testified they were assaulted. JKSHRC has also asked the state government to pay compensation of Rs 2lakh each to the victims of the incident.

As part of a series of reports into the incident was former divisional commissioner of Kashmir and ex-Chief Information Commissioner of India, Wajahat Habibullah. For some strange reason the report was kept confidential, however, part of it was leaked. The leak report stated: “While the veracity of the complaint is highly doubtful, it still needs to be determined why such complaint was made at all. The people of the village are simple folk and by the Army’s own admission have been generally helpful and even careful of security of the army’s officers. Unlike Brig Sharma, I found many of the village women genuinely angry… It is recommended that the level of investigation be upgraded to that of a gazetted police officer”.

Understandably, the facts, reports, recommendations of the officials and grief of victims were lost in the name of “national interest” and concoction of a suppressive jackboot regime. Else, why would the state give up any chance of exposing “well-concocted bundle of fabricated lies” and “a massive hoax orchestrated by militant groups and their sympathizers and mentors in Kashmir and abroad”

as termed by a Press Council report which conducted an “independent investigation” on the insistence of Army into the case. This would have helped in preventing many youngsters from crossing over to other side of LoC for arms training just to return to fight the state. And did I tell you that just a month ago, JKSHRC confirmed the presence of over 2300 unmarked graves in just three districts of north Kashmir and has ordered similar investigation into some 3,000 odd graves that are alleged to be in Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu.

The confirmation by JKSHRC has given the rights groups and family members of victims a shot in the arm after the investigation wing comprising SSP rank officer submitted its report. There are around 8,000 people, who families and human rights organizations allege, were subjected to enforced disappearance by security forces in the state over the past two decades.

Let us assume that you were deliberately kept insulated from these hard realities. Let us assume that you are hearing the arguments for the first time. The following instances should help you understand things better:

In April 2004, family members of four missing army porters from Jammu received an anonymous letter informing them that their kins were killed by the Army after passing them off as militants. Later, Captain Summit Kohli of 16 Rashtriya Riffles, who happened to be the duty officer at that time in Lolab, committed “suicide” in his camp under mysterious circumstances.

Though family members of the porters have been under the impression that the letter might have been written by Captain Kohli, his mother is still fighting a lone battle claiming that her son was murdered for blowing the lid off the worst kept secret in the security force.

In 2007, at least five bodies were exhumed from graveyards of Bandipora and Ganderbal districts after it was confirmed that they were innocent civilians who were branded as militants and killed by security forces just for gallantry medals. While an SSP rank officer of J&K police and his associates are in jail for almost five years in this case, the army officials who were party to the heinous crime haven’t appeared in the court even once.

In January 2003, security personnel claimed major success by killing five foreign terrorists allegedly responsible for Chhatisinghpora massacre of Sikhs in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Later it turned out that those killed were local civilians whose DNA samples were fudged during the investigations. Those involved in the police currently enjoy plum postings while others in the army have questioned the jurisdiction of courts, despite being chargesheeted by CBI.

Let us hope that a country where clamor grows for hanging a person to satisfy the collective conscience of the nation, would react in a sane, enlightened and humane way to prove that this land of Gandhi is not lost in the din of jingoism.

Indian trooper arrested for molesting woman in Indian-occupied Kashmir

Srinagar, June 17 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, an Indian Army personnel was arrested for molesting a woman at Mendhar town.

The trooper molested a woman near Dak Bungalow in the town.

Some people who heard some noise when the trooper attempted to molest the woman informed police and arrested the accused on the complaint of the victim. The woman was sent for medical examination to hospital.
   
On the other hand, a young girl was disgraced by a miscreant at Shalli in Dansal area under the jurisdiction of Jhajjar Kotli police station in Jammu, while a woman pilgrim, who had come to attend the annual urs at Babanagri in Kangan has been missing for past 5-days.

Meanwhile, three persons including a child died and 23 were injured in separate incidents across the Kashmir valley.

Courtesy: Kashmir Media Service

Indian Army admits molesting and misbehaving with tourists in occupied Kashmir

Srinagar, June 08 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, a day after an Indian army trooper molested and misbehaved with female Indian tourists and assaulted several others in famous health and tourist spot of Pahalgam in Islamabad district, the Indian army had admitted the involvement of its trooper.

The trooper of 3-Rashtriya Rifles, eyewitnesses said, misbehaved with women and thrashed the male tourists with gun butts in Pahalgam. Several people including women were injured in the assault by the soldier, who was carrying a rifle at the time of the incident.

Lt Gen S.A Hasnain, AVSM, SM, VSM, GOC Chinar Corps, deployed in Srinagar, ordered a fast track enquiry and found the trooper’s involvement, said a statement issued by Indian army’s spokesman in Srinagar.
 
"The Army has taken strict disciplinary action against the erring soldier for misbehaviour with tourists," Indian army spokesperson J S Brar said in a statement.

The statement, however, did not mention what action was taken against the guilty trooper.
 
“The Army man pointed their guns on my chest and tried to shoot me. Had the locals not come to rescue me, I would have been dead by now”, an Indian tourist Sunil Mishra had told media men after the incident. The incident brought scores of taxi drivers, traders and locals on the streets, who staged strong anti-India and anti-Army demonstrations. Chanting slogans, the protesters demanded stern action against the trooper.

Meanwhile, reacting to the enquiry set by the army, civil society groups in Kashmir have said that there was nothing surprising in the move. "The Omar Abdullah regime is hyper-sensitive to tourist need and support. There is nothing surprising in the action against trooper," Khurram Pervez, Coordinator Jammu and Kashmir Civil Society, said.

Source: Kashmir Media Service

Islamist Militants fight for Kashmir's freedom

SRINAGAR, FEBRUARY 20, 2010

It is 11:40 am. For last six hours hundreds of Indian Army troops and police counter-insurgent units have sealed off part of a village and nobody is allowed in or out. One of the region's most wanted militant who carries a reward of two million rupees is believed to be hiding in a house in this Warpora village of Sopore in northern Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

The militant believed to be caught in the cordon is Abdullah Ooni – a top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) commander in northern Kashmir - who has planned and carried out many attacks on the Indian forces in this region including the recent attack on a police patrol in which four Indian policemen were shot dead

Heavily armed troops belonging to Indian Army’s counter-insurgent unit - Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and local police’s counter-insurgent group Special Operations Group (SOG), carrying automatic rifles including heavy machine guns and Kalashnikov rifles, have sealed off all the escape routes.

Acting on an intelligence input, most possibly a tip off from an informer or through surveillance of the communication lines, the army assisted by police had cordoned the village in the early morning. Concertina wires were laid at all the entry and exit points to prevent the escape of the militants.

Troops had already zeroed in on a house where they believed the militants were hiding. The first contact was established at around 6 am, when militants fired half a dozen bullets at the soldiers. In the ensuing confusion and panic created by the gunfire, two local militants managed to escape from the cordon, the policemen on the spot said.

But police and the army believed Ooni was still trapped – and his death would mean that Lashkar has lost one of its best man in the Valley.

Attack carried out by ten LeT militants on Mumbai in November 2008 led to the disruption of the peace process between India and Pakistan. Both the countries have fought three wars over Kashmir, which was divided between them soon after the two nations achieved independence in 1947.

However, many in the Muslim majority Valley of Kashmir see the militants of LeT and other armed groups as freedom fighters and their funerals attract huge crowds of slogan shouting young men who pour in from the adjoining areas.

LeT is one among the many armed groups who say they are fighting for the ‘liberation’ of Kashmir. The other major group is Hizb-ul-Mujahideen – which comprise of mostly local militants as compared to LeT whose cadre is mostly from Pakistan.

Meanwhile, hours of search at the site where the Lashkar commander is believed to be hiding is leading the troops no where and they are clueless about his whereabouts. It is now almost seven hours and their finger has continuously been on the trigger of their Kalashnikovs.

A policeman from the SOG, who identified himself only by his first name Gulzar, said that it is unlikely that Ooni will still be there. “We are looking for him last six hours and there is still no contact with him. Perhaps he has escaped,” said Gulzar, his face covered with a black cloth.

Like most of the SOG personnel involved in this operation, Gulzar too is a local. “We have to hide our identity. Most of the people in this area are hostile to us,” he said, as others in the group nodded in agreement.

As the troops and police search for Ooni, young boys start to gather at the other end of the road. Sensing that the boys might start throwing stones, the SOG personnel act preemptive and charge on them forcing the boys to run away from the cordoned off area.

Most of the boys who were shooed away by the Kalashnikov carrying masked cops belong to a new generation of Kashmiris who were born in the last twenty years - when the insurgency erupted in the state.

Warpora, like most of the Sopore region, has traditionally been a separatist stronghold and, even after twenty years of conflict – and with ‘seventeen martyrs’ from this village alone – the anti-India feeling is widespread.

In last one year alone, there have been eight encounters between Indian army and militants in this village, a boy who refused to give his name said that is because people here are sympathetic to militants. “We all are sympathetic to militants. People are willing to provide them shelter and food. That is why they come here, but there are also many informers around” he said.

Five kilometers from Warpora village is Upper Seer – a village in Sopore and home to a Fidayeen (member of a suicide squad) who on January 6, this year, attacked an Indian police camp and later barricaded himself along with another militant at a Srinagar hotel. Both the Fidayeen were killed after a fight that lasted nearly 23 hours.

Manzoor Ahmad Bhat – a young man who joined the militant ranks after the 2008 land transfer agitation was a Fidayeen – a militant who raids a military installation – with the sole aim to kill and die. It has been rare that Fidayeen have come back alive from these raids and Manzoor was no exception.

Manzoor’s father, Ghulam Rasool Bhat said that they never saw their son after he joined the militant ranks. “He joined the protestors in 2008 who were marching to the Line of Control and when he returned in the evening he was a changed man, something had happened to him that day,” said the father, as tear trickle down his bearded face.

“He then left home saying he is going to Srinagar to work. We gave him the permission. After some days police raided our house and then came the army and the SOG”.

Bhat said that they came to know about Manzoor being a militant when an army officer told him the news. On the first day of the Islamic month of fasting, Manzoor had left his home for ever and joined Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.

Eighteen months after he left the home, Manzoor would die fifty kilometers away from his father and home.

“He never came back home to see us. After that I only saw him when his dead body arrived,” said Manzoor father. Manzoor is among the few Kashmiri militants who have participated in the Fidayeen attacks – which are otherwise mostly carried by the Pakistani militants.

Manzoor’s mother takes out the picture of him from underneath a pile of clothes from a wooden rack. The photo was given to the family a year after Manzoor became a militant and shows a bearded boy in his early twenties. It is now the only souvenir for Manzoor’s family.

In the meantime, it was a lucky day for militants hiding at Warpora. All of them, including Ooni escaped an imminent death. “Operation has been officially called off as there has been no success in locating any militant,” said Station House Officer of Sopore police station, Shakeel Ahmad.

The average life of a militant operating in Kashmir is not long and some day Ooni might be running out of luck. The rules of this game of hide and seek between Indian soldiers and the militants have remained unchanged for the last twenty years, and as of now it is unlikely that the things are going to change.

PS: Soon after the Warpora encounter, militants fought an intense battle with Indian forces in Chinkipora after which Indian forces laid a siege of that village and later shelled the residentail houses. Ooni survived that fight and went on engaging in dozens of battles with Indian forces in Sopore. Today is April 25, 2011. Abdullah Ooni continues to be among the most wanted militants in Kashmir.