'India is doing in Kashmir what China does in Tibet'

Ozair Nissar
Srinagar, July 01: Terming the assassination bid on Pervez Imroz, a well-known human rights activist who is the co-convener of International people`s Tribunal on human rights and justice, an attempt to halt the Tribunal from continuing its work, Dr Angana Chatterji co-convener of the Tribunal has said that India is doing same in Kashmir what China is doing in Tibet.
Condemning the assassination bid on Imroz on Monday night by CRPF and SOG personnel, Chatterji, a professor in an American university, while addressing a press conference here Tuesday, said: "The attempt to assassinate Advocate Imroz is cowardly and brutal. This act of the police displays the arrogance and the state of exception in place in Indian-administered Kashmir. The findings of our tribunal on the mass graves earlier and last week, and the state`s attempt to intimidate and threaten us are evidences of Indian government`s disregard for justice, and it seems what China is doing in Tibet India is doing same in Kashmir."
Saying that there is no justification for India to plead its case for permanent membership in the UNSC keeping in view its human rights record in Jammu Kashmir, Chatterji said: "On one side India is lobbying for permanent membership in the Security Council and on other its agencies are committing assassination bids on human rights activists in Kashmir. We will take the assassination attempt on Imroz to international forums and strongly oppose the support from European countries and the US to India by making this bid public at international level."
Giving an account of Monday`s assassination attempt on his life Pervez Imroz, chairman J&K Coalition of Civil Society, said: "It was around 10.10 pm when my wife informed me that there is a knock at the front door (of my house). When we asked those knocking at the door to identify themselves they responded aggressively and asked me to open the door. Sensing trouble…I went to another room at the back of the house and shouted across to my brother who lives next door to find out who is knocking at my door. The movement my nephew started moving towards our door the policemen opened fire."
According to Imroz, the attackers would have succeeded to eliminate him had the people from adjoining villages not arrived on time.
"After a few seconds the men who were from CRPF and SOG threw grenade in our compound. A teargas shell and bullet shots were also fired in the air. However, the grenade which blasted with a bang attracted the attention of the neighbours and other villagers who made announcements in mosques on loud speakers which forced the perpetrators to flee around 10.30 pm. The villagers from Kralapora and adjoining village of Kanipora said one large armored vehicle and two Gypsy cars and men in CRPF and SOG uniform were soon at the spot," said Imroz.He added: "Legally agencies know that they cannot stop us from doing our work and therefore they are trying to eliminate and harass the members of the Tribunal."
"The agencies are trying to sabotage our efforts in digging out the facts and figures on the presence of mass graves which we collected during our investigations in Baramulla and Kupwara, and the surveillance on our members has increased after the harassment by police and intelligence officials on June 30. However, this process of harassments has strengthened our resolve and we will release the report as decided earlier but we won`t announce the date yet as that would amount inviting further assassination attempts and harassment from intelligence agencies," Chatterji said.
Advocate Mihir Desai, legal counsel for the Tribunal while condemning the attack on Imroz said, "The attack reflects the legal and political impunity enjoyed by the CRPF and SOG in the state under special powers like AFSPA."