Kashmir: a paradise turned into hell

Hundreds of unnamed graves were discovered by a human rights group in Kashmir recently. Most of those buried in the graves are believed to be victims of fake encounters by the Indian armed forces. The resolution also urged India to ratify and implement the UN Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance without reservations, and to grant access to Jammu and Kashmir for the UN Special Rapporteurs under the terms of reference of the UN Special Procedure. In another development, the Norwegian government termed the new discoveries of unidentified graves in IHK as alarming despite the fact that India was signatory to UN’s Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

In April 2008, Amnesty International had urged the Indian government to launch urgent investigation into the mass graves, which were thought to contain the remains of victims of human rights abuses in the context of the armed conflict that has raged in the region since 1989. Though actions of the European parliament, Amnesty International and other forums are commendable yet these fall short of requirements of the UNSC resolutions giving the right of self-determination to the Kashmiris.