Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 13: Amnesty International India today sought a ban on use of pellet guns in Kashmir against the protesters, saying while it acknowledges right of security forces to maintain public order but condemns all forms of violence including stone-pelting.
The rights body released a report titled “Losing Sight in Kashmir: The Impact of Pellet-Firing Shotguns,” which profiles 88 people whose eyesight was damaged by metal pellets here today. “Their lives have changed entirely, and they are struggling to cope,” said the Amnesty, adding that the victims are facing psychological trauma and struggling to carry on with their routine activities including studies.
The right body in its recommendation has demanded that the law enforcement agencies should immediately stop the use of pellet-firing shotguns to police demonstrations and ensure that the use of other weapons is in line with international human rights standards on the use of force.
The Amnesty revealed that 16 armed police personnel have suffered pellet gun injuries while firing them at protesters in Kupwara district of Kashmir last year which it said “showcases the poor crowd control training”. “The number of injuries of police personnel was revealed to us through an RTI,” said the rights body.
“Provide relevant training on crowd control measures and the use of force and firearms to security force personnel of the Central and State Governments, as laid out in the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by law enforcement officials and UN Code of Conduct for law enforcement officials,” the Amnesty recommended to Government.
The Amnesty said the violence in all forms including stone-pelting is “unacceptable” and “condemnable”. “We are against every form of violence but we also oppose disproportionate use of force,” said Aakar Patel, India head of the rights body.
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