Geelani Hails Justice Verma Commitee’s Report, Says India is Behaving Like a Colonial Country

KL Desk

Srinagar
While hailing the recommendations of Justice Verma Commission regarding the review of AFSPA and their remarks with regards  to  armed forces personnel guilty of sexual crimes , Chairman Hurriyat Conference(G)  Syed Ali Geelani said that it is justified and a welcome step  and though the forces, military, Para military and police personnel  were involved in hundreds of sexual assault and brutal gang rapes the authorities at all levels have ignored calls for free and fair trials of those involved in heinous crime.

Reiterating the demand for impartial investigation in all these cases, Geelani impressed upon to investigate all crimes by some international agency and expressed the doubt and said that government will take the justice Verma  recommendations seriously, and move to implement these in letter and spirit.

“It is quite evident that India in no case would allow to investigate any such case against its forces,” Geelani  said while terming the justice Verma recommendations appropriate and added that is obvious that  authorities won’t  permit to bring its forces under purview of this law.

“India is behaving like a colonial country and through its reluctance and  suppressive measures wants to continue its forced occupation,” said Geelani while adding that instead   forces are being   accorded with promotions and awards  for such crimes.

Talking about AFSPA, Geelani said, “if at all the AFSPA is revoked it does not mean that the crime  against  women will come to halt.”

Recalling the statement of ex home minister  L K advani that the forces deployed in Jammu Kashmir cannot be punished as this may invite the disregard  for moral of the forces and  quoted the leader saying that the forces in such circumstances may not be in position to serve the nation, Geelani reiterated  complete demilitarization of forces from Jammu and Kashmir.

“AFSPA is not prime issue, instead our priority is complete demilitarization of forces from state,” he said  and added that the presence of occupied forces is the main reason of concern and root cause of all agonies and woes. “Presence of forces is the obvious root cause for the current agonies and assault against women and this will continue till the forces are there,” he said.

Impressing upon the international bodies for their intervention and asked for investigation of the crimes committed by the forces on the pattern of conflicted zones of Bosnia and other war affected zones.