Srinagar, Sep 05: Prof.Bhim Singh, former Legislator in J&K, Founder of Human Rights Movement in the state & Founder of J&K National Panthers Party in 1982 with a clear mission to ensure that justice, equity and all fundamental rights shall be delivered to all the citizens of India in J&K. This is unfortunate, he wrote to the President of India, Shri Ramnath Kovind today that the pellet bullets which were used earlier against children and civilians, stopped on the intervention of the President of India on the appeal of the Panthers Party are being used again by security forces against the children and other civilians protesting on the streets.
NPP Supremo has made a strong appeal to the Human Rights Commission in Geneva for intervention to ensure that no police or any wing of security forces shall be used pellet bullets against the children and other civilians protesting on the roads for their civil and political rights. Prof.Bhim Singh has urged the Human Rights Commission to ensure that no country in the world shall be allowed its security forces/police use lathel weapon on the streets anywhere. He expressed shock that the J&K which is under President’s Rule today has been using security forces with pellet guns which is against the very letter and spirit of the fundamental rights in the Constitution of India which today are applicable to the entire state of J&K after the President of India withdrew Article 35-A which was continuing for nearly 70 years in J&K to provide brutal strength to the local government of J&K.
Prof.Bhim Singh has quoted several instances where the United Nations never allowed use of such weapons as pellet guns against the unarmed civilians. He described the use of pellet guns in Kashmir as highly unconstitutional, against the spirit and letter of fundamental rights which are applicable to every citizen in J&K after the removal of Article 35-A of the Constitution.
He said that there were several occasions when the United Nations Human Rights Commission intervened in such cases where lathel weapons like pellet guns were used against the civilians while agitating for civil rights.
He appealed to the President of India for his immediate intervention, so that all security forces are directed no to use pellet guns against the minor/civilians in Kashmir which is an integral part of the Union of India like Jammu Pradesh and Ladakh and other states.
He conveyed to the President of India that he shall take up the matter before the Human Rights Commission himself as he represents Human Rights Commission, J&K besides several other Human Rights Groups and has represented such issues on the Human Rights violation in Palestine and other areas in the world.
He said that all fundamental rights are applicable in the entire J&K and no security forces/police/administration shall be permitted to use such lathel weapons like pellet guns in Kashmir which is already suffering under President’s Rule being deprived of democratic rights in the entire State of J&K.
Prof. Bhim Singh said that the President of India may be pleased to intervene, failing which he announced that he shall take up the matter before the United Nations himself in his capacity as defender of Human Rights. Quoting the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights had clearly directed that use of shot guns firing metal pellets is one of the most dangerous weapons used in Kashmir and a clear message was given for immediate end to their use for crowd control. In 2017, when questioned in Parliament over the use of pellets the Ministry of Home Affairs said it had explored other non-lathel alternatives to disperse crowds. He accused the present administration in J&K under President’s Rule for violating the United Nations High Commissioner assurance in this regard. Since 2017 use of pellet guns was stopped in Kashmir also. NPP Supremo reminded that use of pellet guns in Kashmir is highly violative of international human rights as well as the fundamental rights provided in the Constitution of India. He hoped that the Parliament of India which is sitting, unfortunately, under tight situation has occasion and right to raise this issue in the interest of the integrity of the country. This kind of misuse of rule of law in Kashmir may endanger India’s security in J&K.
