Buried Evidence: Unknown, Unmarked, and Mass Graves in Indian-Administered Kashmir

112 Pages·2009·33.77 MB·English

by  Angana P Chatterji

International People's Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice
in Indian-administered Kashmir

BURIED EVIDENCE

Unknown, Unmarked, and Mass Graves in Indian-administered Kashmir
a preliminary report

by

Angana P. Chatterji
Parvez Imroz
Gautam Navlakha
Zahir-Ud-Din
Mihir Desai
Khurram Parvez

in association with

Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons
and
Communities in Bandipora, Baramulla, Kupwara, and elsewhere

research associate

Parvaiz Mata
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International People's Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Indian-administered Kashmir

Tribunal Conveners
Dr. Angana Chatterji
Professor, Social and Cultural Anthropology, California Institute of Integral Studies
Advocate Parvez Imroz
President, Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society
Gautam Navlakha
Editorial Consultant, Economic and Political Weekly
Zahir-Ud-Din
Vice-President, Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society

Tribunal Legal Counsel
Advocate Mihir Desai
Lawyer, Mumbai High Court and Supreme Court of India

Tribunal Liaison
Khurram Parvez
Programme Coordinator, Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society

Research Staff
Parvaiz Mata
Three other names withheld

Administrative Staff
Four names withheld

Interns
Three names withheld

Editorial and Technical Assistance
Four names withheld

For biographical briefs of IPTK conveners, legal counsel, and liaison, see
www.kashmirprocess.org
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International People's Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Indian-administered Kashmir

The rivers of Kashmir, and across its lands, are the graveyards of our dead.
Woman mourning her son, Baramulla. 2009.1

A time to think of everything the earth and I had lost.
Nostalgist’s Map, Agha Shahid Ali.2

1 Personal communication, International People’s Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Indian-administered

Kashmir, (2009).
2 Lines 57-80, in Faiz Ahmed Faiz. 1991. The Rebel’s Silhouette: Selected Poems, translation and introduction

Agha Sahid Ali, xxv. The University of Amherst Press: Amherst.
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International People's Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Indian-administered Kashmir

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 7
I. Graves 9
II. Explanations 21
Concern, Crimes Against Humanity, and Mass Graves
III. Context 33
Political Situation, People’s Tribunal, This Report, Methodology,
and Reprisal
IV. “Exhumed Truths”: 47
Kupwara, Baramulla, and Bandipora Districts
V. “Encounter”/Fake Encounter: An Index 69
VI. Recommendations 87
Appendix I: First Information Report from IPTK Convener 97
Appendix II: First Information Report on IPTK Conveners 98
Appendix III: Human Rights Council Letter of Allegations 100
and Government of India’s Response
Appendix IV: Relevant Conventions and India’s Status 103
Appendix V: List of Photographs 104
As used in the report, in the order that they appear
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International People's Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Indian-administered Kashmir

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to those whose work and commitments have enabled the International
People’s Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Indian-administered Kashmir (IPTK), and
for the courageous support and cooperation that IPTK has received from members of
marginalized communities, including and especially women and youth. We are particularly
thankful to the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons, and to village and community
members in Bandipora, Baramulla, and Kupwara, and other districts in Jammu and Kashmir.
Our work was contingent on their collaboration.

IPTK thanks concerned citizens, activists, scholars, journalists, lawyers, students, members of
labour unions, grassroots leaders, and those affiliated with local civil society organizations, for
generously sustaining and making possible the work of this People’s Tribunal. We extend our
thanks to the individuals affiliated with state institutions that have testified in confidence.

We acknowledge the solidarity of international human rights and social justice organizations
and institutions, scholars, lawyers working with international humanitarian law, civil
liberties and democratic rights groups in India, and advocates working with the survivors and
victims in other conflict areas, and those in principled dissent to injustices perpetrated by
states and groups.

We extend our gratitude while regretfully withholding the names of those we thank here for
fear that noting these names may compromise their safety and security, and place them at
greater risk of reprisal.
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