By TCN News,
New Delhi: On the 23rd anniversary of the shameful Kunan Poshpora incident, SSSC demanded justice for the victims. In the incident, about 100 women were raped on the same night by soldiers of the Rajputana Rifles in the Kunan and Poshpora village in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. It has been 23 years but still there is no justice. None of the guilty officers have been prosecuted.
The Kunan Poshspora incident occurred on February 23, 1991, when units of the Indian army launched a search and interrogation operation in the village of Kunan Poshpora, located in Kashmir’s remote Kupwara District. At least 53 women were allegedly gang raped by soldiers that night. However, Human Rights organizations including Human Rights Watch have reported that the number of raped women could be as high as 100.
Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign (SSSC), a nation-wide campaign in support of Irom Sharmila and against AFSPA, demanded that justice be given to the victims. SSSC believes that all those who believe in humanity and justice must raise voice against this inhuman and shameful act by the army and demand the repealing of laws that enable and protect the guilty.
“We feel that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act that is imposed in North-East and Jammu & Kashmir and gives unrestrained powers to the armed forces equips the soldier to unleash inhumanity. This incident which was not the first and the last is a result of this. AFSPA not only grants unrestrained powers but also does not have any provision for check and transparency. So inspite of massive protest and fact finding reports, no security personal got punished by any court due to impunity provided to them under Section 7 of AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act),” read a statement of SSSC.
They demanded that:
· Culprits of Kunan Poshpora must be punished
· ‘Immediate’ implementation of Justice Verma Recommendation to end Impunity of security personals for the cases of ‘rape’
· AFSPA must be repealed from J&K and North East
Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign will write letters to all members of parliament to raise voice for Repeal AFSPA.