‘Human shield’ approaches rights panel, Separatists call for Friday protests against the act

Describes Commendation Certificate to Maj Nitin Gogoi ‘illegal, against norms’

Kashmiri villager Farooq Ahmad Dar, who was made a human shield by Major Nitin Leetul Gogoi, has approached the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) with a complaint, questioning the award given to the Army officer.
In his complaint before the SHRC, Dar has described the award conferred on Major Gogoi by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat as “illegal” and against the norms.
Dar, 26, was tied to the bonnet of an Army jeep and paraded through villages in Budgam district during the Srinagar parliamentary byelection on April 9 by Major Gogoi.
In his complaint filed through human rights activist Ahsan Untoo, Dar has submitted that he was used as a human shield by Major Gogoi of the 53 Rashtriya Rifles which was in violation of the local and interna-tional laws.
A video of Dar tied to the Army jeep as a human shield, which had gone viral on the social media, was widely condemned.
“The complainant has learnt through the medium of local and national newspapers that Major Gogoi has been awarded for the said act, which is not only illegal but against the set principles of the international humanitarian law,” noted the complaint, while seeking action against the Army and some media outlets for describing Dar as a stone-thrower.
Quoting from an earlier police report submitted to the State Human Rights Commission with regard to the particular incident, the complaint says that the police has also recorded the statements of eyewitnesses, which are part of the preliminary inquiry.
The report before the State Human Rights Commission has revealed that Dar was lifted by the Army and was tied to the bonnet of the jeep and kept under “wrongful confinement”.
On Tuesday, Major Gogoi told reporters that he did that (tied Dar to the jeep) to “save more lives”. “On April 9, we went to a polling booth to check the security situation and then some people started hurling stones at us,” the Army officer said.

Separatists call for Friday protests

Expressing “strong resentment” over the commendation to Major Nitin Leetul Gogoi, separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik have called for a “peaceful protest” after the Friday prayers against what they termed an “inhuman act”. “It (giving award) vindicates our claim that India is following a fascist dogma and acting as a colonial state,” they said in a statement, adding that “awarding an erring officer for this inhuman and unjustified act vindicates our claim that forces are involved in war crimes and are patronised and encouraged by Indian leadership.”

Previous post No talks, Compromise with Resistance group: Defence Minister
Next post Saudi Arabia to start Ramadan on Saturday