Author: Rashmee Z Ahmed
Publication: The Times of India
Date: March 27, 2003
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?artid=41580910
As the world remains focussed on
the real and propaganda war in Iraq, lower-grade but significant hostilities
have erupted in a different theatre, with India accusing human rights group
Amnesty International of a "mystifying reluctance to condemn (terrorism)
in black and white" and "a curious attempt to obfuscate" the real issues
involved in Sunday’s tragic murder of 24 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a strongly-worded rebuke, Navdeep
Suri, Indian High Commission spokesman said Amnesty's condemnatory statement
on the massacre "further eroded its credibility- by first dwelling on the
fact that the terrorists wore army fatigues and then trying to establish
some bizarre form of moral equivalence between the actions of terrorists,
the plight of victims and the responsibilities of government authorities".
He said the human rights organisation
was merely confirming its "bias" and "a pattern of reporting that can only
be interpreted as a deliberate attempt to project events in a manner that
suits Amnesty’s own version of reality".
Amnesty spokesperson Magda Wendorff-Kowalczuk
dismissed the Indian allegations, which came to light on Thursday. "It’s
not weak at all. We condemn the unlawful killing of 24 civilians very strongly.
We're talking here about 11 women and two children, so we can't be weak
in condemning such a crime. The problem is that it is a horrifying incident,
but we don't know who did it. The Indian government doesn't know either.
So it doesn't make it any easier at all".
On Wednesday, Delhi had officially
pinpointed "the culpability of Pakistan (in) these acts of terror".
Amnesty’s latest statement echoes
its original response to the massacre. It had then declared, "It is as
yet unclear who is responsible".
Its first statement, within 24
hours of the murder, had called on "all sides" to "safeguard the lives
of civilians in Jammu and Kashmir", adding that "International humanitarian
law prohibits deliberate attacks on civilians and those not taking direct
part in hostilities".
Observers said the row was likely
only to harden the mutual suspicions of India and Amnesty, which have resulted
in bitter exchanges in the past, over J&K and Gujarat.
Amnesty has said India’s newest
criticism comes "as a surprise" because it has received no official or
unofficial complaints.
But Suri said the human rights
group was engaged in a "disingenuous attempt to escape their own obligations
for fairness and objectivity".
He said India had previously taken
up numerous "instances (of) twisted facts or using information selectively
to arrive at flawed conclusions".
This time, said Suri, "We thought
we would ignore this latest example and dismiss it with the contempt it
deserves."
The massacre, in Nadimarg village,
has been roundly condemned by several Western governments, including Britain.
British organisations such as the
Council of Indian Muslims and Overseas Friends of the BJP (OFBJP) have
united to condemn the killing.
OFBJP president Dr Surendra Sharma
told TNN he was shocked and surprised that Amnesty could be "so lukewarm
about such a heinous crime, considering it is always ready to condemn human
rights violations in J&K".
