Srinagar, May 18: A two-member delegation of human rights watchdog Amnesty International has sprung a surprise by ‘declaring’ Indian Kashmir as an Indian territory.
The area which has been disputed by India and Pakistan since 1989.
The two-member delegation comprising Bikramjeet Batra and Gopala Krishnan of Amnesty International is presently on a 5-day visit to Kashmir. This is the first visit of Amnesty International delegation to the region, which has been witnessing turmoil since 1989.
“AI had continuously tried to visit Kashmir during last 20 years but our representatives were denied visa by Indian government,” one of the AI member Bikramjeet Batra told media here on Tuesday after meeting a separatist leader Mohammad Yasin Malik.
Asked how they were allowed entry by Indian government into Kashmir, he said, “Since we are Indian citizens we don’t need visa to visit any part of India including Kashmir. We are Indian nationals and can visit wherever we wish to go”.
This is the first and the only time that an Amnesty International member has termed Kashmir as part of Indian territory.
The noted stand of Amnesty till now has been that Kashmir is a disputed territory and had time and again called on Indian government to stop its armed men from committing excesses and human rights violations in Kashmir.
Senior separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani has already casted his reservations about the members of Amnesty delegation. “The two members are Indian nationals and it is not going to help the situation. Over the years it has been seen that Indian nationals always sacrifice truth at the altar of national interest,” he had said.
Meanwhile, United Jehad Council (militant alliance operating in Kashmir) while welcoming Amnesty International’s visit to Kashmir, said, “Our main concern is that since both members of the delegation are Indian nationals, they may not produce a report which could be called as unbaised or impartial”.
UJC spokesman Syed Sadaqat Hussain said although they work with Amnesty but they may serve the Indian Interests and will give secondary importance to human rights violations being perpetrated by Indian troopers in Kashmir.
“The delegation should have comprised people from Europe and Muslim countries so that there should have been no skepticism about the report,” he added.
The separatists and local human rights groups have been seeking Amnesty’s intervention in Kashmir for the past two decades. They have been seeking group’s help in stopping HR abuses allegedly being committed by Indian soldiers.
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