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APDP stages sit-in protest

FARZANA SYED . Dated: 7/11/2018 12:49:21 PM

Demand whereabouts of missing youth

SRINAGAR, Jul 10: The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) held their monthly sit-in protest on Tuesday here at Pratap Park in Lal Chowk.
The protest was joined by scores of members of APDP, parents, kith and kin of youth subjected to enforced disappearances by security forces and government agencies.
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.
On the occasion of the monthly sit-in, the APDP strongly decried the killing of innocent Kashmiris by Indian security forces and demanded end to the bloodshed.
"Killings, bloodshed has become order of the day during the past several months. Indian forces have displayed brutal cycle of violence and killings. In the violence unleashed by the Indian state, Kashmiris are being slaughtered," APDP spokesperson 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 while few new cases of involuntary disappearances were also included. 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 enforced disappearances. They were picked up by Indian forces and Indian agencies. 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 members 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."
"The monthly protests conveyed a strong message to the state administration and security forces that we shall never forget our missing children and will continue our struggle till justice is not accomplished," Parveena Ahangar said.
Parveena Ahangar welcomed the recent report of the United Nations on Kashmir on human rights violations in Kashmir.
"Now international community has also acknowledged our stand they are aware of the grave human rights violations committed by Indian state in Kashmir valley," APDP chairperson said.
Protest was also joined by the relatives of Manzoor Ahmed, a resident Devar area of Kupwara, who was picked up by the Indian forces on August 31, last year, and is still missing. They demanded the whereabouts of Manzoor and all other disappeared persons.
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.