Srinagar: Five years after the scrapping of the state human rights commission in Jammu and Kashmir by the BJP-led government, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) will hold a camp in Srinagar in February to hear complaints of human rights violations.
According to the NHRC notice, the camp will be held in Srinagar for two days from February 7 to 9. "The National Human Rights Commission has decided to hold a Camp Sitting and Open Public hearing of grievances of the public regarding alleged violations of human rights in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir from 7 to 9 February 2024 in Srinagar. Those persons who have complaints of the alleged violation of human rights by a public servant or of negligence by a public servant in the prevention of such violation may send their complaints to the commission by registered post or email to registar-nhrc@nic.in," the notice reads.
This is the first such camp held by NHRC after the BJP government closed down the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) after the abrogation of Article 370 which was set up under the Jammu and Kashmir Protection of Human Rights Act 1997 in 1997. The Act was scrapped after the implementation of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act 2020.
The central government said that under the Protection of Human Rights Act 1993, NHRC has the power to hear cases from Jammu and Kashmir. The State Human Rights Commission was led by a former judge and its office was located in the old assembly complex in Srinagar, which was later converted into a Control Room during Covid-19 viral waves.
Nearly 3,100 cases and complaints were pending in SHRC when it was wound up and the files are now gathering dust in the Jammu and Kashmir Law Department's office. In 2022, Minister of State for Home Nitianand Rai said in Parliament that 765 complaints were being heard in SHRC when it was shut down.
A woman whose complaint was pending with the State Human Rights Commission said that she had no information about the NHRC camp being held in Srinagar. However, a human rights activist in Kashmir, on condition of anonymity, said that they have collected more than 50 complaints which will be presented for hearing before the National Human Rights Commission in Srinagar.
Last year, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai had told Parliament that between October 2019 and 2022, 1,164 cases from Jammu and Kashmir were registered with NHRC; of which 200 cases were pending hearing while the remaining cases have been heard and various directions have been issued on them.
