Srinagar February 9: The decision of J&K police to book the father and two uncles of a youth, who was killed in the alleged Lawaypora fake encounter on December 30, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), is highly unfortunate and a grim reminder of misuse of draconian laws by the BJP government against any dissent voices.
In a statement to “Kashmir News Service” (KNS) reads, Any father whose son has been killed will demand the return of the body and it is no crime or sin. How is it illegal to demand the return of the body of a 16-year-old kid who has been killed in controversial circumstances and buried 100 kilometres away from his village?
Indiscriminate use of draconian laws like UAPA, Public Safety Act etc has made the lives of the people particularly the youth in Kashmir miserable. It has affected hundreds of youth against whom cases have been registered. The draconian law has created a widespread helplessness among the people.
This misuse needs immediate review as exclusion of the voices of dissent is against the spirit of a democratic polity. We reject the repression and want peace to prevail in the valley and not the silence of the graveyard.
Such drastic actions are bound to increase alienation among Kashmiris especially that of its younger generation and leadership of the country must revisit its Kashmir policy and the focus must be reduction in alienation among people. There is already a considerable trust deficit between the state and rest of the country, which we hope would be realized by all shades of opinion in the country to apply a course correction in its approach to Jammu and Kashmir.(KNS)
