The Hindu : Front Page : Protests for human rights

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 11, 2007
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Protests for human rights

Shujaat Bukhari

Mirwaiz calls for complete withdrawal of troops

— Photo: Nissar Ahmad

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (second right), Chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference, participating in a rally organised in connection with the “World Human Rights Day,” in Srinagar on Monday.

SRINAGAR: Large-scale protests and seminars on Monday marked the World Human Rights Day in Kashmir as political organisations and NGOs called for ending the “increasing human rights violations” and sought fulfilment of the Prime Minister’s assurance on zero tolerance.

Leading a silent march from the Hurriyat Conference’s Rajbagh headquarters, party chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said, “The law of the jungle prevails. “They [security forces] kill with impunity.” He called for a complete withdrawal of troops and said that “as long as troops are stationed in such abundance in Kashmir, the situation on human rights front cannot improve.”

“Excessive powers enjoyed by the troops result in serious violations of human rights,” the Mirwaiz said.

“It has become a pattern with the forces,” Mian Abdul Qayoom former president of the Kashmir Bar Association said. He blamed New Delhi for “giving licence to forces to kill the people.”

Overwhelmed

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik, who broke his fast, told The Hindu that he was overwhelmed to see the response of the people.

“It speaks volumes about the magnitude of the problem in Kashmir.” The government should take note of it, he said.

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