When the Commissions of Inquiry Act was passed in 1952 by the parliament of India it was extended to the entire country to make dispensation of justice faster for a democratic society. Although it was not applicable to Kashmir until the state assembly adopted it, its meanings have changed in the eyes of those for whom it was supposed to bring relief and justice. Since 1952, in Kashmir the inquiries and probes have served no purpose. It has only made the resentment more deeper and frustration more visible after every inquiry launched by the government. Commission of Inquiries and Probes set up by any government of civilized societies are generally brought about to look into or address the complaints of violation of human rights or any other issues related to the law.In Kashmir hundreds of these commissions and probes have been used to suppress truth, buying time and surprising dissent.
Since decades now Kashmiri people are used to some nomenclatures. Some of these words have become part of our intrinsic vocabulary. Apart from injustice, failure of governance, and alienation there has been abuse of enquire commissions, probes and judicial inquiries. These commissions have been used to pacify public anger. Sometimes these have been used to cover even blatant murders committed by the government forces. When 35 innocent Sikhs were murdered in Chattisinghpora by unidentified gunmen an inquiry was ordered, and as it turned out, a manipulated version of the truth came into fore. There was an inquiry ordered by Jammu and Kashmir government into the killing of a youth in CISF firing at Boniyar Uri recently. The findings were to be made public within a month; many months have already passed without a result though. There was an inquiry launched in 1993 into the ‘Bijbehra massacre’. Whatever happened to that no one knows. Also an inquiry was launched into the death of a young boy in Rafiabad in north Kashmir, again it was to be completed in one month. What happened later to the magisterial probe no one knows?
Thus there are commissions of inquiries and from time to time there is inquiry on these commissions which never allows the truth be acknowledged by the powers that be. In Kashmir truth is something that everyone knows, but the successive governments need a probe to prove it was wrong. They need retired judges and magistrates to prove that what has really happened did not happen at all. The latest one being the justice H S Bedi Commission probing the death of National Conference worker, Syed Yusuf. The Commission which was asked to complete its probe within six weeks but due to “unavoidable circumstances”, and off course “adverse weather” condition, the State Government granted a 3 month extension in January, 2012. It is time that that the existing power structure in the state, and its propensity to stay put at any cost, realize that instead of adding to the long history of delayed or denial of justice it would do well to change course if only to acknowledge mistakes. Justice must prevail at all cost.
