Skip to main content

Gujarat-based NGO finds serious human rights violation in J&K during its campaign for Right to Information

He "lost everything" due to army atrocity
By A Representative
Gujarat-based NGO Mahiti Adhikar Gujarat Pahel’s (MAGP’s) recently-concluded people’s contact programme in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) has found serious human rights violations by the army and the police in the northern-most Indian state. While campaigning for the right o information (RTI) Act on RTI on Wheels, a specially designed vehicle, with the supported by Sangharsh RTI Movement-J&K, MAGP activists heard the tale of woe from an old man in Gurvet village of Badgaon district who said how the army came to their house, fired at his wife and daughter-in-law, and took away his son.
“My son never returned. After a few days, the army people once again came to take me. I asked the officer, ‘Will you spare two minutes?’ I went to the place where sheep and goats were kept, and opened the door to let them free. ‘I do not know whether I am going to return or not. This boy will beg for food when he will feel hungry. But what about my sheep and goats do if they are locked inside?’, I told them. I was released by the army after a month’s time finding nothing against me”, the old man was quoted in a report prepared by the MAGP on the yatra.
A young man tells his tale of woe in J&K
As do not want heavens to be built for them. They just want one opportunity to move a step forward in their life.” The RTI yatra was flagged off by J&K chief minister Omar Obdullah on June 16.
Another gruesome story – which finally ended with some positive results due to an RTI application filed by the locals – was about the Tosa Maidan Bachao Andolan, a “magnificent meadow in Budgaon district, which was given to the army on lease as firing range way back in 1964.” The lease was put up for renewal in 2014.
“In the past five decades, 63 people were killed and hundreds disabled in several accidents related to un-exploded shells littered on the meadow’s slopes”, the MAGP report said, adding, “Information regarding the lease conditions, renewal and deaths, was obtained under RTI. Under the leadership of Dr. Shaikh Gulam Rasool, villagers of 16 villages around Tosa Maidan got together to start Tosa Maidan Bachao Front.”
Women listen to RTI activists
The report said, “For centuries, Tosa Maidan had served as grazing land for the villagers’ livestock. But, since 1964, for six months from May to October every year, the meadow would see scenes of simulated warfare carried out by the army. During this period, the villages would reverberate with the barrage of shelling and deafening explosions, forcing the villagers to stay indoors most of the time.”
“Slowly, the movement gathered momentum”, the report said, adding, “It gave a call for rally and protests in Srinagar, and Srinagar witnessed one of the biggest peaceful protests of the past three decades. A large number of people joined the rally. Finally, the government decided not to renew the lease for firing range. The movement has now submitted its plan of developing this area for eco-tourism.”
In yet another experience, at Singpura village in Baramulla district, at a gathering of RTI users, Ahmad Afzal shared the story of a 2008 agitation against land acquisition for a road development project. The government, in order to suppress the movement, lodged FIR. “Many among us were school-going kids. As many as 253 youths from 10-12 villages of Baramulla even today are being harassed by police”, Afzal is quoted as saying.
RTI on Wheels during its outreach programme in J&K
Afzal said, “The government registered several cases against them. Every month they need to appear in the court and pay fees to advocates. They also have to appear in the police station. If they go out of town for two days, police inquire at their home”, adding, “We have been arrested many times in a year, before any important day and occasion in the name of maintaining law and order.”
He further said, “When the police visit our house they damage our property, break things, misbehave with ladies at home. We approached the DSP, ministers, different parties. But no one believes us. No one gives us any work. Our families have been ruined. They earn only to pay bond and fees of advocates. We have seen a ray of hope in RTI and we all have come to see you.”
At Jampatri, a small village near Srinagar where 300 households of Gujjar community, a denotified tribe, live, Mohammad Shafi related the case of harassment by forest department. “Shafi and his friends filed a series of RTI with the forest department to know about actions taken by the department in against timber smugglers. The forest department, in reaction to this, filed cases against three youths with the charge that they destroyed the forest department’s nursery. When the incident happened, they were in the village, and the sarpanch could stand witness for their presence in the village”, MAGP report said.

Comments

TRENDING

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

Workers' groups condemn Gujarat Ordinance increasing working hours, warn of statewide agitation

By A Representative   At a consultation organised today by the Asangathit Shramik Hit Rakshak Manch at Circuit House in Ahmedabad, leaders of major trade unions and labour rights organisations strongly opposed the Gujarat government’s recent ordinance amending the Factories Act and the draft rules notified under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code, 2020. Around 50 representatives from central trade unions, independent unions, and labour welfare organisations participated in the meeting.

Deaths in Chhattisgarh are not just numbers – they mark a deeper democratic crisis

By Sunil Kumar  For a while, I had withdrawn into a quieter life, seeking solace in nature. But the rising tide of state-sponsored violence and recurring conflict across India has compelled deeper reflection. The recent incidents of killings in central India—particularly in Chhattisgarh—are not isolated acts. They point to a larger and ongoing crisis that concerns the health of democracy and the treatment of marginalised communities.

'Bengali Muslim migrant workers face crackdown in Gurgaon': Academic raises alarm

By A Representative   Political analyst and retired Delhi University professor Shamsul Islam has raised serious concerns over the ongoing targeting and detention of Muslim migrant workers from West Bengal in Gurgaon, Haryana. In a public statement, Islam described the situation as "brutal repression" and accused law enforcement agencies of detaining migrants arbitrarily under the pretext of verifying their citizenship.

Gender violence defies stringent laws: The need for robust social capital

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The tragic death of Miss Soumyashree Bisi, a 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan College, Balasore, who reportedly self-immolated due to harassment, shocked the conscience of Odisha. Even before the public could process this horrifying event, another harrowing case emerged—a 15-year-old girl from Balanga, Puri, was allegedly set ablaze by miscreants. These incidents are not isolated; they highlight a disturbing pattern of rising gender-based violence across the state and the country.

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

The myth of population decline: India’s real challenge is density, not fertility

By N.S. Venkataraman*   India’s population in 2025 stands at approximately 1.4 billion. In 1950, it was 359 million, rising sharply to 1.05 billion by 2000. The population continues to grow and is projected to reach around 1.7 billion by 2050.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

A matter of deep concern: The silent struggles of India's visually impaired women

By N.S. Venkataraman  Visual impairment is one of the most severe forms of physical disability that afflicts humanity, and its impact is even more acute when it affects women. The burden becomes overwhelming when visually impaired women also belong to economically weaker sections of society, with little or no financial or institutional support. Their struggle for dignity, survival, and identity is often invisible—hidden in plain sight across cities and rural corners alike. And yet, these women form a large, neglected segment of society not just in India, but around the world. In India, governmental assistance to visually impaired persons exists but remains minimal. While policies are framed with good intent, they often fall short in implementation. More importantly, no real distinction is made between the unique challenges faced by visually impaired men and women. This gender-blind approach to disability support overlooks the compounded social vulnerabilities that women face due to...