India lodges strong protest on UN Kashmir comment

The Indian government reacting sharply to the remarks on Jammu and Kashmir situation made out by the UN High Commission for Human Rights (UNCHR) said that “India didn’t need any advice on protection and promotion of human rights of its citizens.”

Terming the remarks as “uncalled for and irresponsible” the spokesman for the External Affairs Ministry, Navtej Sarna has asked its permanent representative to the UN, Nirupam Sen to lodge strong protest with the secretariat-general. “We reject such a statement on the situation of Jammu and Kashmir,” said Sarna.

The first such remark by the international body raising concern over the human rights violations in Kashmir caused India to react promptly for several reasons: first, the remark might open flood-gate of adverse comments from more countries which have so far refrained from expressing concern and secondly, the UN remark came at a time when the UN Human Rights Council is scheduled to meet in Geneva on September 8.

The UN’s concern has certainly paved the way for Pakistan to rake up the issue vehemently on an UN platform, something which has been denied to them for several years.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) expressed concern over the alarming situation in Kashmir. In a statement issued from the office on Thursday, it said: “The use of force should be proportionate to threat posed, and firearms only used in dispersing a violent assembly to protect individuals against an imminent threat of death or serious injury.”

“In a scores of protest triggered after the revocation of forest land to the Amarnath Shrine Board, the Indian troops have killed about 40 activists since June, most of them residing in the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley.”

The Acting High Commissioner asked for thorough and independent probe into all killings. It, however, asked demonstrators to be refrained from violent agitation.

The almost continuous strike and curfew has completely paralysed the normal life in the state for over two months. Shops and market places were remained closed on Friday, too, and vehicles off the road in response to a bandh called by Shri Amarnath Sangharsh samiti (SASS) pressing up the state government to concede to its demand transfer 100 acre of land to the Shrine board. The meeting between Samiti and government so far has been fruitless.