We don't get out of our homes, forget playing in parks: Kunan Poshpora residents

Twenty-seven years have passed since the horrifying incident took place in Kunan and Poshpora villages today, Indian Army soldiers are alleged of mass raping 23-100 women. Years have passed by but the situation of women across the world have been vulnerable. 

Be it the Rohingya Muslim women being raped by the Myanmar armed force or Nigerian security forces raped victims of the war, or the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where thousands of war-battered and bruised Congolese army troops descend on the town and raped murdered hundreds of women. The suffering and trauma of rape have been a defining horror of the war.

In most of the cases, the protector turned prey-like. In a telephonic conversation with a resident of Kunan area, we came to know many facts and reality that has been either overlooked or ignored.

Kunan Poshpora incident

The incident took place today in the year 1991 in the twin villages of Kunan and Poshpora. A search operation to track down the militants was launched in this area. The incident in the cordoned area later turned out to be the blackest nights in Kashmir violence-ridden history.

This has remained as the subject of rage and fury, allegations and denials. Villagers even today blame the army personnel of the single biggest sexual violence.

This incidence was brought back to the judiciary sphere in 2013 by a group of 50 women, including the authors of the book titled 'Do you remember Kunan and Poshpora'. A petition was filed by them in the Supreme Court to re-open the case.

Despite the fact the High Court had ordered an investigation, the state government and army had not let that happen according to the local residing there.

Army's take on this

Even today the army has denied the accusation, calling it baseless and a malicious lie. Even there hasn't been much investigation done in this matter and hence no logical conclusion has been established.

Member of Press Commission of India was sent to investigate alleged human right violations by the Army in J&K, which included senior journalist B.G. Verghese.

However, The PCI team found the Kunan story was a gross exaggeration. They said the case was a psychic-war to spoil the image of the Indian army. The committee believed that this was done to create a dangerous image of Army in people.

Indian Government's take

When Kerala CPM Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan who once visited Kashmir's Kunan area in May last year questioned Indian army. In a statement, he said, “nobody has the right to question the army and that they (army) can abduct women, rape them and shoot people”

Present Situation

In a telephonic conversation with a resident of this area, we came to know many facts and reality that has been either overlooked or ignored.

When asked about the situation, she said, “Even today we fear men in uniform. We don't get out of our homes post 6 Pm forget playing in parks. Instances of rapping militant’s family women still happen as an act of punishing them.”

I have spent 20 years of my life here and there has been a lot of false promises of probes but nothing much has been done. With a sobbing voice, she requested that she should not be named as that can cost her life.