The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) will hear two separate petitions on the Army’s move to award a Major who faces charges of using a civilian as a human shield in central Kashmir on April 9.
Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Saif-ud-Din Soz said he has approached the NHRC on May 24 “to seek an explanation on what action the Commission had taken on his complaint against the Army officer’s gross violation of human rights.”
“Army Chief General Bipin Rawat felicitated Major Leetul Gogoi in an award ceremony for his ‘Act of Bravery’. I think it is an occasion for the NHRC head to consider resigning his position or else assert his position to restore the prestige of the NHRC,” said the Congress leader. A separate petition, filed by Ahsan Untoo, chairman, International Forum for Justice and Human Rights, questions the Army move to award the officer.
“I also filed a petition against three TV news channels for terming the victim, Farooq Ahmad Dar, a stone thrower,” said Mr. Untoo. On April 9, the Major tied the civilian to the front of an Army vehicle to rescue trapped security forces from a polling booth. The Army has defended the Major’s move despite a Court of Inquiry against him.
Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik have called for “a peaceful protest after Friday prayers” over the issue. Appealing to the International Court of Justice and Amnesty International to take “cognisance”, a joint statement said such a move “vindicates our claim that the forces are involved in war crimes.”
