Kashmir civil society urges to disband VDCs, Geelani calls for shutdown tomorrow against ‘VDC terror’
South Kashmir Civil Society(SKCS) in a statement strongly deplores the killing of Shamima Akhter( 36) and her four year old son Tawheed Ahmad besides Mohammad Ishtiyaq (26) in Rajouri district by Village Defence Committee (VDC )members, since last one week.
“There has been persistent demand from Social Society groups and Human Rights Organization to disband VDCs, neither the past governments nor the present PDP-BJP coalition has taken any steps to end the terror of VDCs,” SKCS spokesperson said, adding, “There are 4,111 VDCs, comprising 32,888 VDC members, signifying that their number has increased in current coalition, although official estimates that 26500 people are actively working with the VDCs.”
South Kashmir Civil Society demands that VDCs in Chenab and Pirpanchal valleys , besides other parts of the State should be immediately disbanded to end their notoriety and VDC members involved in crimes including murders, kidnappings, rapes should be given exemplary punishments.
Meanwhile, Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani called for a shutdown on Saturday to demand disbanding of Village Defence Committees.
A spokesperson of the outfit said that the VDCs have been created to suppress Muslims in Jammu province.
“The chairman has appealed people, especially those living in Chenab and Kashmir valleys, to make the Saturday’s strike call a success to send a strong message that these militias created to terrorise Muslims should be disbanded immediately,” the spokesman said.
He called the killing of mother-son duo by a VDC member as “state terrorism”.
Yasin Malik detained during anti-VDC protests in Maisuma
Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Yasin Malik was detained on Friday during a protest march against the “terror created by Village Defence Committees”.
Three people, inclduing a mother-son duo and a political leader, were killed in past week by members of the VDC, dubbed as a private militaia of the ruling party by Opposition National Conference.
Scores of protesters led by Malik took out a rally in Maisuma after Friday prayers to demand disbanding of the group.
A police party intercepted them, resulting into clashes.
The protesters hurled rocks at the forces who responded by firing teargas shells.
Malik was detained by police along with several other leaders during the clashes.
