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APDP stages monthly sit-in, deceased member of the association remembered
FARZANA SYED. Dated: 5/11/2018 12:19:04 AM
SRINAGAR, May 10:The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) held their monthly sit-in protest on Thursday at the house of a deceased member of the association Rahti Begum in Check Kawos area of Narbal.
On the occasion the protesting members reiterated their demand for locating the whereabouts of the disappeared youth who were picked up by the security forces during past more than two decades of conflict in the state.
The members paid rich tributes while remembering Rahti Begum and her struggle in fighting for justice for her son Sheikh Mohammad Ramzan who was subjected in involuntary disappearance by the CRPF in year 1994.
Rahti had died recently in the month of April.
"Rahti Begum was part of APDP since the association was formed in 1994. Rahti accompanied me to far off villages of Kashmir to document and assemble the family members of the victims of enforced disappearances. Her dedication to the cause of enforced disappearances remained undeterred until her last breath. Even though her search for her son remains unfulfilled, we the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), pledge to carry on with her unresolved search for her son on her behalf and take it forward to its fruitful end," APDP Chairperson Parveena Ahangar said.
"Rahti’s loss is irreplaceable for APDP. Her fight for her son made her run from pillar to post but alone. However, her courage never faded. She became an inspiration for others," Parveena said.
On the occasion of a monthly sit-in, the APDP strongly decried the killing of innocent Kashmiris by Indian security forces and demanded end to the bloodshed.
"In the past two weeks, the Indian forces, in its display of brutal violence, killed atleast 8 Kashmiris. In the violence unleashed by the state on the Kashmiris, hundreds have been injured. We condemn the use of violence against the Kashmiris who demand their political rights and presses upon the world community to take note of these rights violation of the Kashmiris by the Indian state," spokesperson APDP said.
APDP reiterated its demand for setting up an independent judicial commission for investigating into the cases of enforced disappearances.
Today's protest was joined by scores of parents, half-widows and kith & kin of the disappeared youth of the state. Reiterating that they would continue their battle against prejudice and injustice, the protesters said their struggle for knowing the whereabouts of the missing children was never going to die.
"Our children are the victims of involuntary disappearances. They were picked up by men in uniform and Indian agencies but never returned to us. We do not know where are our children, what fate they met at the hands of security forces. The wives of these youth do not know whether they are widows or their husbands are alive. These mothers do not know whether their children are alive or dead," the protesters said.
The chairperson of the Association Parveena Ahangar said, "This Association has been fighting for the past over 25 years alone. The successive governments have only been mute spectators to our plight. We are struggling to locate the whereabouts of our children. But we will continue our fight come what may."
Chairperson APDP said that the monthly protests conveyed a strong message to the state administration and security forces that they will not forget their missing children and will continue their struggle till justice is not accomplished.
According to human rights reports more than 10,000 cases of enforced disappearances have been reported from different parts of the state of Jammu and Kashmir since the beginning of the prolonged conflict.
On the 10th of every month APDP stage protest to press their demands for locating the whereabouts of the youth who gave disappeared under the custody of security forces.