Srinagar: While repeating his demand for investigation of the Kunan Poshpora ‘mass rape and murder case’ by an independent agency, on the 23 anniversary of this incident, chairman Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Geelani said that though some Kashmiri women have filed a PIL in the local court to reopen and reinvestigate the case, but we should not expect any justice or any punishment to the criminals in Indian courts and army will use its special and unlimited powers to provide a safe passage to these criminals of humanity.According to a statement issued to KNS, while saluting the courage, steadfastness and sacrifices of Kashmiri women, Geelani said that the Kashmiri women has set an example in the fight for the freedom and had proven that the forced occupation of India will not live longer. Geelani said that the rape has been internationally recognized as a “war crime” and a “Form of Torture” and from last 25 years in Jammu and Kashmir the rape has been routinely used as a “Weapon of War”. On the intervening night of 23/24 February 1991 in district Kupwara, personals of Indian army, 4-Rajput Rifles and 68-Moutain Brigade gang raped dozens of women of Kunan Poshpora and the men from the village were subject to mass torture and this process still continues.
“Till now about 7.5 thousand women have been raped or molested. Geelani Sahab said that the black laws like AFSPA and Disturbed Area Act have provided a licensee to the Indian army to kill and rape that is why a single criminal of war crime has not been presented in the civil court nor has been anybody punished till date. If due to public pressure army sometimes promised to investigate any case but after some time they closed the case for the lack of sufficient evidence. He said that the former Home Minister of India L. K. Advani is on record having said that “We can’t punish the army personnel’s involved in serious war crimes because such acts will demoralize the forces in J&K and they can’t effectively perform their duty to protect the borders,” the statement issued to KNS reads.
According to the Geelani this is the main reason that in J&K, women are raped and molested without any fare. With the fare of not getting justice from the judiciary, most women doesn’t come forward to register the case and if any one dares to register the case, but it doesn’t get any result, because first of all police refuses to register the FIR and then with the help of black laws the case can’t be presented in civil courts.
Geelani appealed the International community to play their role in protecting the dignity of Kashmiri women. While repeating the demand for the independent investigation of the mass rape cases of Jammu and Kashmir including Kunan Poshpora by the ‘United Nations War Crime Tribunal’, Geelani said that this institution need to play the same character in Jammu and Kashmir which they had played in Bosnia and other subjugated nations and until the army personals who are involved in serious war crimes, are not punished, this region will remain a unsafe place for women. While appreciating the civil society for organizing a special program on 23 February as, “Kashmiri Women’s Resistance Day”, Geelani said that our daughters have sacrificed their everything for the just cause and whole nation salutes them for their courage, resistance and steadfastness. (KNS)