A Srinagar-based rights body on Wednesday accused the authorities of denying permission to commemorate the 26th anniversary of the Kunan Poshpora “mass rape and torture” incident.
A spokesman of the J&K Coalition of Civil Society said the event was to have been held on Wednesday. “The support group had formally applied for permission to the Deputy Commissioner [District Magistrate], Srinagar, to hold the event.” A member of the group was telephonically informed by police officials to collect the permission order from the DC office.
“However, on reaching there, we were informed that the permission had been denied on the basis of a fax communication from the office of the Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar, ‘that there is an apprehension of law and order problem’,” the spokesman said.
He said a signed copy of the official denial order by the DC was “refused” despite several requests.
“This is symptomatic of the State’s attempts to clampdown on events relating to human rights violations, particularly sexual violence,” alleged the spokesman.
Several women were allegedly raped on the intervening night of February 23 and 24, 1991.
In the scheduled event, the survivors of the Kunan Poshpora incident were to apprise the participants of the legal proceedings of the case in the Supreme Court.
“By denying permission for the event, the State has displayed its repressive behaviour of curbing any conversation on human rights issues faced by the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” said the spokesman.
