PDP launches campaign for AFSPA rollback, troop reduction

SRINAGAR June 15, 2009

Launching a state-level grassroot campaign for revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and troops reduction from June 20, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) said these measures could mark the first crucial steps for the resolution of the Kashmir issue. The campaign will be kicked off by PDP President Mahbooba Mufti in Kashmir and senior vice-president Sardar Rangeel Singh in Jammu, a spokesman of the party said here this afternoon. Announcing the details of the programme here he said these two measures would mark the first crucial step for the resolution of Kashmir issue as envisaged by the Party’s Self Rule agenda. Empowerment of civil society institutions and ending troops' interference in daily lives of the people, he said, was inevitable for creating an environment conducive to a final and amicable solution of the issues. He said atrocities like Shopian double murder, Bumai, Khaigam and countless others were not isolated incidents of human rights violations but represented a mindset that needed to be changed through drastic measures at political level. The tragedies and the public response to them should be reasons enough for the political leadership of the country to respond to the situation in a wholesome manner. Administrative actions would be futile and judicial scrutiny impossible in presence of laws like the AFSPA which were designed for a situation that no more existed on the ground, he added. Reiterating the party’s full solidarity with the people of Shopian, who have decided to carry on the struggle till the criminals involved in the gang rape and murder of two women are brought to book, the spokesman said it was unfortunate that the government was still not showing any urgency in starting the investigation. Inquiry by the judicial commission should not be used as an alibi to soft pedal the criminal investigation by police especially after the unabashed cover up effort had been fully exposed, the spokesman added. He said instead of punishing the guilty, government had virtually rewarded with a larger charge Superintendent of Police (SP), against whom the entire district was up in arms. Virtually rubbing salt into the wounds, this pointed to the complicity of entire administration in the cover up bid even though an FIR was registered only after the entire valley and local media protested for more than a week, he added. The government owed an explanation to the people and the bereaved families for this totally insensitive action, he said and added that the general impression that it was done for political reasons did not seem farfetched. The spokesman said the programme to highlight the need to revoke AFSPA and shift troops from civilian areas would continue till the objectives were achieved.