SC’s Salwa Judum judgment reverberates in Jammu and Kashmir
Pressure is mounting on the Omar Abdullah government to disband the huge army of special police officials in Jammu and Kashmir in consonance with the Supreme Court judgment asking the Chhattisgarh government to disband the people’s militia, Salwa Judum.
J&K Coalition of Civil Society, a human rights watchdog, has decided to knock at high court seeking the implementation of Supreme Court judgment in the state as well.
“If the state fails to implement the arbiter dicta of the judgment, JKCCS will file the writ application in the court for the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment in Jammu and Kashmir,” said Parvez Imroz, president of JKCCS.
Around 23,783 Special Police Officials including 1375 ex-servicemen are working in the Jammu and Kashmir State. Jammu zone has the highest number of SPOs at 15,366, which include 1092 ex-service men. Kashmir Zone has the 8417 SPOs including 283 were ex-servicemen.
The Supreme Court, in its landmark judgment, asked the Chhattisgarh government to immediately stop using SPOs, recall all firearms distributed to them, desist from funding the recruitment of any other vigilante groups, ensure the filing of FIRs into criminal activities committed by them, and offer protection to those in need.
“The recent Supreme Court judgment is a clear guidance, binding all the states in India for not using the unconstitutional methods for dealing with political or armed dissent. The judgment is more relevant to the Jammu and Kashmir state where the idea of privatization of human rights violations was conceptualized and crystallized”, said Imroz.
Imroz said it was in early nineties when the government used the services of “known human rights violators or people with the history of violence”.
“Massive human rights abuses have taken place at the hands of counter insurgent groups like Ikhwan-ul-Muslimoon, Muslim Mujahideen, and the Village Defence Committees who were later integrated or accommodated in regular forces like Territorial Army and the Special Police Officers.
Some of the top counter-insurgents including Kuka Parray, chief of Ikhwan, Javid Shah and Usman Majid, became the legislators. Parray was elected in 1996 as an independent candidate from Sonawar constituency however he lost 2002 polls before being killed by ultras.
Usman Majid was elected as independent legislator from Bandipora constituency in 2002. However, he lost the 2008 polls. Javid Shah was rehabilitated by the ruling National Conference when he was elected for Legislative Council. However he was later killed in a fidayeen attack.
“SPOs, VDCs, Territorial Army units, other small groups and individuals who have let loose a reign of terror in the state and are responsible for heinous crimes should be immediately disbanded; all their firearms recalled; and the government should ensure that FIRs are filled into criminal activities committed by these persons”, Imroz said.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the Supreme Court judgment cannot be applied in the state as the SPOs were part of the regular police force.
“The SPOs in Naxal-affected areas cannot be compared to SPOs in Jammu and Kashmir as they are part of the belt force and do their regular duties,” Omar said.
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