In Jammu and Kashmir, the bitter and polarised debate over the Armed Forces Special Powers Act is not just about a law.
The father of 17 year old Zahid Farooqui, Farooq Sheikh, has not been himself ever since his only son died in last February. Zahid was killed on the banks of the Dal lake after he got into a heated exchange with a BSF commander . The commander was deemed to be on 'active duty' even though he was on his way back from a medical check up, an argument used repeatedly by Armed Forces to prevent their own from being tried by civilian courts.
Shakeel Ahmad's mother, Mugli Bano and sister, Latifa Bano outside their house in Lalad area on the outskirts of Sopore. 22 year old Shakeel died in CRPF firing on a procession during last year's unrest. The CRPF has claimed that the mob was out of control and they had no choice but to shoot, reflecting the complexities of keeping the peace in the Valley.
In another similar case in the town of Sopore, Bilal Ahmad's sister, Ashiya breaks down while recounting the day her only brother died as a rubber bullet fired by the CRPF hit him while he was headed home. He has 3 sisters and a handicapped father.
CRPF IG Operations in the Valley, BN Ramesh admits to cases where innocents have died but says they always take action wherever evidence of malafide intent.
Parveena Ahangar has spent the last 20 years of her life trying to find her son, Javed, who disappeared one August night in 1990. Inspite of the many years that have passed, every small detail of the case is seared in her memory vividly. She now runs Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) and estimates that there have been almost 8000 enforced disappearances in JK since the insurgency began.
The Army claims that the number of violations is far less. Out of around 1500 complaints registered against them of human rights violaitons since 1990, only about 50 are serious enough to have demanded action under their internal processes. But they are not willing to share details of those cases.
Imtiyaz Hussain, the SP of Sopore is the face of the new dynamism of the J&K police. The police had collapsed during the first decade of militancy but are now at the frontlines of fighting militancy along with the Army, a partnership which many say has dramatically reduced the incidents of terrorism. Activists say that the proactive police force is worrying for civil liberties.
The bustle of everyday life in Srinagar is a major factor in the state government's demand for reducing the footprint of AFSPA. Incidents of militancy related violence in the state has dipped dramatically in the past year. The Army claims this is a deceptive lull, and that things could deteriorate again.
