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Journalism of Courage
Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission SHRC chairman Justice A.Q. Parray today said cases of human rights violation recommended by the body are gathering dust in the office of Union Home Minister L.K. Advani.
Speaking to Law students at a seminar in Kashmir University campus, Parray admitted that the 8216;8216;SHRC is toothless and not in a position to implement anything8217;8217;. 8216;8216;Our commission can only recommend, it doesn8217;t have enough powers to implement,8217;8217; he said.
He said most of the human rights violation cases that the SHRC puts up before the government are rendered ineffectual because 8216;8216;these get diluted under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act8217;8217;.
Often, people perpetuating human rights violations like rape, custodial killing or enforced disappearances escape punishment because of the SHRC8217;s inadequate powers, he said. 8216;8216;But our state is not isolated. The human rights bodies world over are recommendatory in nature and lack powers,8217;8217; he said.
However, he defended the role of the Commission in defining the rights of the people. He said the body has compiled several cases but on many occasions, people claiming to be eyewitnesses turn hostile while deposing before the court.
Meanwhile, the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons APDP has demanded appointment of a commission to inquire into all enforced and involuntary disappearances in the state.
The association8217;s demand stems from the fact that nearly 6,000 persons have disappeared since the conflict started in 1989. The state government admits that 3,184 missing cases are reported with it.
