Amnesty International on Saturday called on the Indian government to take urgent steps to ensure respect for the right to life and to investigate past killing of demonstrators by police in Jammu and Kashmir.
“With an increasing death toll in protests, we urge the Indian authorities to act,” it said in a statement issued from London. It added the government should immediately instruct the security forces not to use firearms against demonstrators. “Security forces should use the minimum force necessary to defend themselves or others against an imminent threat of death or serious injury. They should not employ intentional lethal use of firearms except where such use is strictly unavoidable in order to protect life.” AI regretted that an inquiry ordered by the authorities into 11 of the deaths by shooting in July has failed to make headway and renews its call to the government to initiate an independent, impartial and thorough investigation into all the killings. “Members of the security forces responsible for excessive use of force in demonstrations should be brought to justice,” it said.
It also said that information about the events unfolding in Jammu and Kashmir has been restricted as a result of strict enforcement of the curfew regulations. Journalists have informed AI that, despite possessing curfew passes issued by the authorities, they have been prevented by the police and the paramilitary personnel from leaving their homes. With journalists unable to report, a number of regional television stations and newspapers have suspended their work.
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Footpaths, dividers repaired
Age Correspondent
Srinagar
It is not just security concerns for the 39-member all-party delegation arriving here from New Delhi on Monday for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation prevailing in the Kashmir Valley and some other parts of the state which have kept the authorities here on tenterhooks.
That they do not see any signs of obliteration left behind by rampaging mobs along the road to the city from the Srinagar airport during the recent deadly outburst over alleged desecration of Quran in the US in another cause of anxiety for them.
On Saturday, police officials issued special permission to the concerned officials to relocate along with masons, gardeners and labourers to the 10-km long Indira Gandhi Road here to repair the footpaths, dividers, iron grills and screens and flower and plant beds.