happyheart

By Angana Chatterji

Angana Chatterji is Convener of the International People’s Tribunal in Indian-administered Kashmir and Professor, Anthropology, California Institute of Integral Studies.



On May 29, 2009, as has been variously attested, Asiya Jan and Neelofar Jan were subjected to rape, reportedly by more than one perpetrator, and murdered. Ms. Asiya Jan and Mrs. Neelofar Jan were Muslim residents of Shopian town, in Shopian district, in Indian-administered Kashmir, and 17 and 22 years of age, respectively.


The security forces of India were implicated in the brutalization and death of Asiya Jan and Neelofar Jan.


For our report, and related photographs, short video clip, map, and secondary resources, see:


The events in Shopian of May-July 2009 are contextualized within a continuum of past violences and violations by the Indian military and paramilitary, and reciprocal relations between heightened militarization and social and gendered violence in Indian-administered Kashmir. The population of Shopian district numbers 2,00,000-2,50,000. The population of Kashmir was recorded at approximately 69,00,000 in 2008, with Muslims constituting approximately 95 percent of the population. Across Jammu and Kashmir, which includes Ladakh, approximately 67 percent of the population was of Muslim descent. Shopian town is home to approximately 60,000-70,000 residents. The military and paramilitary are hyper-present in and outside the town. At its limits are the police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camps. Beyond, the locality is surrounded by the Rashtriya Rifles (military) and various camps of the CRPF, in Gagaran, Batpora, Balpora and on Mughal Road. The Rashtriya Rifles stage flag marches and the CRPF regularly patrols the area. Since May 29, 2009, the CRPF established another camp near the site of the incidents, close to the police residential quarters, across the Rambi-Ara nullah (a tributary of a stream) beyond the edge of Shopian town. Approximately 3,000 police and personnel of the Special Operations Group (SOG) monitor the area. Further, about 20,000+ security forces personnel are deployed across Shopian district.


What is the ‘truth’ of the matter, who are in the know, and what is being shielded? While investigations into the events of May-June 2009 in Shopian have emphasized the procedural conduct of the police in their handling of the investigation, they failed to focus on the actual crimes that were committed, or the conduct of state institutions. The investigations in Shopian have not focused on the identification and prosecution of perpetrators or on addressing structural realities of militarization in Kashmir that foster and perpetuate gendered and sexualized violences, and undermine rule of law and justice. The investigations have instead concentrated on locating ‘collaborators’ and manufacturing scapegoats to subdue public outcry. ‘Control’ rather than ‘justice’ has organized the focus of the state apparatus, including all processes related to civic, criminal, and judicial matters.


Beginning May 30, 2009, throughout June, until July 16, 2009, for forty-seven consecutive days, civil society protests continued in Shopian town, led by the Majlis-e-Mushawarat and other groups, seeking justice, joined, in solidarity, by others across Kashmir. Daily life remained interrupted, economic and social life overrun. Through non-violent means, civil society continued to dissent the horrific events that transpired, the relationship of these events to military and paramilitary forces, the actions and impassivity of security forces and institutions, and those of the state. Civil society members reiterated that civil disobedience was the sole mechanism available to them via which to seek justice.


The events in Shopian and the broader structural and sustained context of militarization portray the reach of the security apparatus in Kashmir under what is not termed ‘military rule’. The conflict in Jammu and Kashmir has been ongoing since October 1947. A will to peace in Kashmir requires an attested commitment to justice, palpably absent in the exchanges undertaken by the Government of India and its attendant institutions with Kashmir civil society. The premise and structure of impunity connected to militarization, and corresponding human rights abuses, bear witness to the absence of accountability inherent to the dominion of Kashmir by the Indian state, and a refusal to take seriously the imperative of addressing these issues as the only way forward to a just peace. The international community continues to engage India in trade, commerce, military, nuclear, and cultural relations, without insisting on answerability for the violations committed by its government and military and paramilitary forces.


The events in Shopian marked the inability of the state apparatus to deliver justice in Kashmir. It remained incumbent on civil society institutions and international human rights groups and those working with issues of social justice to seek accountability.



Nasir Khan blog: Rape and murder in Indian-held Kashmir

KashmiriSadozai

I read about this and was sooo depressed...
The kashmiri ppl are always in my prayers...
Inshallah justice will be served, they can fool the rest of the world but they can't escape Allah...

CM

And no action taken by the Indian government. Maybe after that prostitution brigade arrives it may solve this problem!

bittu

rape, murder can not be justified by or for any reasons....
and if my information is correct...some police personals belonging to muslim community were involved in this crime....but the so-called freedom fighters and fame hungry human activists give up no chance to exploite any incident...even this type of inhuman crime against two ladies..... has no justification.

happyheart

So u dont believe in such thing as freedom fighters? Who are freedom fighters in your eyes?

Jalaluddin

why are you so obsessed with prostitutes? not good for your health or mind.

bittu

i really fail to understand the logic....some police personals (supposed to be muslims) have committed an inhuman crime against two simple ladies...and your freedom fighters find a chance here...instead of asking for severe actions against those (muslim) police officers.

bittu

can i reply him the same way and my post will not be scrutinized?

happyheart

I think you are living in your own small world and not willing to come out.
I do not care who is guilty wether its Muslmi or a Marshman.
Guilty is guilty but do not turn ur face from the innocent dead Kashmiris in Indian Occupied Kashmir.

You know as well as i know its only a matter of time u cannot stop whole nation who does not want to belong with you Indians. You can use all the force you have 600000 is not enough for you even with over a million sissy soldiers you cannot achieve your goal.

What did India achieve so far? Nothing whatsover only humiliation on the world stage. Wherever Indian leaders go they have to deal with the "stain" called KASHMIR OCCUPATION.

bittu

i wonder the cheapness of their so-called freedom strugle....the have no sympathy for those two innocent ladies....
last time i was reading that the number of indian soldiers is 700000....so tell me the correct fugures.
that is your personal education and understandng....on the other hand what the world thnks about pakistan today....i do not need to make any comments.

happyheart

Well in your eyes Massgraves found in Indian Occupied Kashmir are CHEAP?
In your eyes rape of innocent kashmiri women in Indian Occupied Kashmir is CHEAP?
In your eyes 600 000 troops in Indian Occupied Kashmir is not CHEAP?

Well i think what you said is sad and cheap in the eyes of Kashmiri people who are the victim of Indian state terrorism.

Of course you do not need to make any comment because every comment you make is refuted by major international Humanrights Organisations.

Well let say there are 600.000 is that justified? Lets say there are 500.000 is that justified?

Just free Kashmir and free yourself from a big headache else you will never live in peace.
If think if Indian government keeps on terrorising Kashmiris or Muslims thenthey should not bark back and cry like a baby.

bittu

but still this gentleman cannot confirm why there is no migration of muslim community from kashmir...
and why we do not find any illigal birth rate...

he is not ready to compare the situation to east pakistan 1971. 10 million people from east pakistan migrated to india and thousands of women from east pakistan gave birth to illigal children after their great army' adventure in east pakistan...

why the result differs in kashmir...

happyheart

spechen sie Deutsch?
What are u talking about?
What do you mean by : illegal birthrate?

Listen if everything was alright in your country Indian then there would be no Gujrat massacre, mass_murder, butchery, carnage and slaughter of innnocent Muslims.

Then Kashmir would be free. And you can dream on with your question if u are not willing to anwser my questions.

Jalaluddin

^ Let's be very clear. Kashmir is free as an Indian state. The part that Pakistan occupies - yes that should be freed as well.

happyheart

Well so far i did not come across any Muslim who did not believe that Kashmiris ought to have right of Selfdetermination.

The mere fact you are pro Human Rights Violations of Muslims and you do not care anything about Muslim mass graves found in Indian Occupied Kashmir is prove what you are.

U are totally blind my friend and do not read other people posts if you would do that then you knew i was pro Kashmir. No one should keep Kashmir. Pakistan is not occupying Kashmir.
India is the one who is not only occupying Kashmir but also guilty of Human Rights Abuses.

Jalaluddin

Your not coming across something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. There are some 180M muslims in India. How many have to come across? Almost certainly a lot less than I have.

What makes you think I am pro human rights violations? I could say that you are for supporting the cause of terrorists from across the border that kill rape and maim innocent civilians in India.

Really? Pakistan is not occupying part of Kashmir? That exposes you for what you are - a pro-Pakistani anti-Indian person. What credibility do you have to talk to us about India. Nothing.

bittu

shall i repeat my question again.....read the history of east pakistan 1971 and try to find out why 10 million people ran away from there to india and thousands of women gave birth to illegal childern who were raped by your army....

now read my previous posts and give some explainations...why the situation is not same in kashmir....

i have not been to kashmir but i can confirm you that all shops at janpath...a prominent business centre in delhi are owned by kashmiri muslims and they are flourishing well...

any how if you have guts...answer my simple questions.....

you have started gujarat (stick to the topic)....otherwise i will have to remind you that train to ahmdabad goes via godhra....and that incident you have totally forgotten...

coolguylin

Whole kashmir is actually a part of Pakistan becoz they are muslims.. So india should itself or by force be made to quit soon, i think we should send some fighters in.. to protect our brothers and sisters from filthy dirty ugly and coward hindu army.. Soon dirty india will have to quit not only from Kashmir but also from indian punjab, as it belongs to Sikh brothers, and they should be supported to build their country ''Khalistan'' their.. and Maost people are also suffering indian occupation, they should also be helped to get freedom from indian occupation also Tamal Nadu does not want to be with india anymore. One of my Tamil Nadu's friend tells me that we hate india, and we don't want to be a p art of india.. So please quit all these areas or you will be made to LOL..

happyheart

Bittu jaanu
i am talking about Kashmir
What happend in the past i was not even born then so what ur talking about does not make any sense to me.

When i see atrocities happening i am condemming it and what is happening in India Occupied Kashmir is GRAVE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION by sissy Indian army.

If you do not have the guts to condemn that why you so worried about what happend years back.

U totally do not seem to be concerned with what is happening within your own country and rather look somewhere else because its oh so convinient to you. But i am here to show you mirror baby dont worry. lolz

bittu

you have already done so for four times in past....shall i remind you that in 65 and 71 the kashiri citizens made fool of your soldires whoever could entre the indian teritorry....