Page 350 - Failure to Triumph - Journey of A Student

Indian government’s conclusion, and determined that there was credible evidence to support charges
that an elite army unit engaged in mass rape in the Kashmiri village of Kunan Poshpora.

Following the release of the Press Council’s report, Indian authorities dismissed all of the
allegations of mass rape as groundless. No further investigations were conducted. In 1994, a
Women’s Initiative report featured the testimony of several of the alleged victims. Many complained

of social ostracism from their families and communities because of the “shame" of having been raped.
Some of the alleged victims reportedly committed suicide after the incident. According to the report,
not a single marriage proposal had been received for any women, raped or not, in the village for three
years after the incident.

Tactics

India

Over time the Indian government has increasingly relied on military presence and a curtailment of
civil liberties to achieve its aims in Kashmir. The military has committed massive human rights

violations. For most of the history of the insurgency the government paid little attention to the political
views of the Kashmiri people. The government would often dissolve assemblies, arrest elected
politicians and impose President’s rule. The government also rigged elections in 1987. In recent times
there have been signs that the government is taking local elections more seriously.

The government has also funnelled development aid to Kashmir and Kashmir has now become the
biggest per capita receiver of federal aid.

Pakistan

The Pakistani central government originally supported, trained and armed the insurgency in Kashmir,

however after groups linked to the Kashmiri insurgency twice attempted to assassinate President
Pervez Musharraf, Musharraf decided to end support for such groups. His successor, Asif Ali Zardari
has continued the policy, calling insurgents in Kashmir “terrorists".

But the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence hasn’t followed the lead of the government and has
continued its support for insurgent groups in Kashmir although Pakistani support for the insurgency
has certainly waned.

Insurgents

Since around 2000 the ‘insurgency’ has become far less violent and has instead taken on the form of
protests and marches. Certain groups have also chosen to lay down their arms and look for a peaceful
resolution to the conflict.