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A video of youth being used as human shield by the Indian forces during protests & crackdown in south #Kashmir’s Pulwama goes viral on social media. #kashmir pic.twitter.com/N42uzi4bK6
— Ahmer Khan (@ahmermkhan) June 18, 2018
A viral video has shown the use of civilian human shields by Indian forces in Occupied Kashmir. The incident took place a few days back in the Southern Kashmir. In the video of the incident, a group of Kashmiri youth being used as human shields on the vehicles by the security forces can be seen. As per reports, the incident took place during one of the Cordon and Search Operation (CASO).
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In the video, Kashmiri dialect can be heard with people who made the video saying that the Indian forces have used Kashmiri youth to protect themselves from the stone pelting. A group of 12-13 personnel can be seen with 4 youths, who are sitting in front of their vehicle with blindfolds.
It can be ascertained from the video that stone-pelting has happened at the place, but if the youths sitting in front of security personnel’s vehicle were involved is not clear in the video.
Now, as per media reports, this incident took place a few days back (exact time and date are not known) during a cordon and search operation in Samboora village of Pampore. The security forces were acting on information regarding terrorists in the area and during the search and rescue operation, it came under heavy stone-pelting from the locals. The security personnel then captured 4 youths and made them sit in front of their vehicle to stop the hurling of stones.
The incident echoes another similar incident in April 2017. In April 2017, Major Gogoi strapped 26-year-old Farooq Ahmad Dar to his jeep and paraded him through the streets of Srinagar during the Srinagar parliamentary seat by-election. Major Gogoi explained the move so as to save his men from a stone-pelting mob. The video triggered massive backlash on social media but the Major was awarded the Chief of Army Staff’s commendation card for his efforts in counter-insurgency operations.
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Later it turned out the ‘human shield’ Farooq Ahmed Dar was not a stone pelter and he had cast his vote earlier in the day, in the polls which saw a minimal turnout. Even amid international criticism, the army continued to defend Major Gogoi claiming that the action was committed in good faith to save lives of many soldiers and polling staff from violent stone pelters in Utligam village of Beerwah.
In a major embarrassment to the Indian Army, Major Leetul Gogoi again made headlines in May 2018 for allegedly luring a minor girl to a hotel room in the state’s summer capital Srinagar. The Major and the young woman were picked up by state police along with a third member of the army.
Jammu and Kashmir’s ruling coalition collapsed on Tuesday as the BJP ended support to the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The signs were there for months, but the break-up still surprised Ms. Mufti, who handed in her resignation to Governor NN Vohra shortly after the BJP’s announcement. “Our agenda was healing touch, we can’t treat Jammu and Kashmir as enemy territory,” she told reporters. “It had become untenable to continue with the PDP government in Kashmir,” said senior BJP leader Ram Madhav, defending the move that will leave the state under Governor’s rule for the fourth time since 2008 and eighth time since 1977. Governor Vohra in the evening forwarded his report to the President for the imposition of President’s rule.