Amnesty International organized a programme on 13th August 2016, which is alleged to be aiming at maligning Indian Army. The events of the programme created controversy which force the Karnataka state police to file an FIR against Amnesty International for sedition charges. Public protest is growing against individual and organizations who collaborated to organize the programme. Amnesty International has hosted a petition by a mother of a Kashimiri youth who has died in the ongoing conflict (The petition of Aahaaz Dar, Mother of Mushtaq Ahmad Dar, hosted on Amnesty International India website) is clearly influenced by the Amnesty International organization and its report “DENIED” published in 2015. The petition is seen as trying to influence the public discourse in India with the emotional appeal of those who have suffered in the ongoing conflict with the demands of Amnesty International to the Indian Government – harmonizing the Indian laws with the UN guidelines-which are formulated with utopian ideas.
The report of the Amnesty International is being viewed as biased by the general public. The Amnesty International through its report is providing half information, generating biased reports and inciting who have lost their dear ones in the ongoing conflict fueling further suffering to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The following checklist, formulated by netizens in social media, challenges Amnesty International to provide additional background on the person presented on the profile page of brokenfamiles website mentioned in the petition. The checklist includes a post script expressing belief that the answers to these checklist would provide explanations to the decisions of the Indian Government.
Checklist to be filled by Amnesty International before citizens of Karnataka could consider the petition
1. An insurgency against Indian state is underway in Kashmir and many local people are actively participating in this insurgency – supported and sustained by foreign countries including Pakistan. Was the person on your profile page participated any time, in any way with the Insurgency against us?
2. There are many families in Kashmir who are sympathetic and actively collaborating with the militants. Was the person on your profile a member of such a family? Please provide us the family details either in positive or in negative and their linkages with the terrorism.
3. Many individuals, especially the youth, are misguided by the Pakistani sabotaging machinery. Many of such youth are living a split life. The families are aware of only one of them. Was this person one among them?
4. Many individuals have very close linkages with the terrorism network and they are helping the secessionist echo system. Families will be aware of the linkage and activities of these individuals. But, they fail to prevent the family members to discontinue these anti-national activities. The reasons for such failure may be reluctance, underestimating the risk involved in continuing such activities, sympathetic to the cause of anti-nationals. Was the family of the person on your profile page failed to provide proper guidance to their family member?
5. Was the person on your profile page arrested / imprisoned or interrogated any time before and returned home? Why was he arrested / interrogated?
6. Did the person in the profile page tried to assault, oppose with the armed forces? was he pelting stones at police? army?
7. Was the person on your profile page wanted Azadi from India?
8. Was the person in your profile page participated or collaborated in pogrom, killing of Pandits, security personnel or any other citizen in the state?
9. Was the person in your profile page indoctrinated by the Jihadi preachers? or foreign intelligence agencies against India?
10. Was the person in the profile crossed border anytime to receive training and returned back home?
The citizens of Karnataka believe that the answers to the above questions would explain the decision of Central Government.