Violence kills 204 in Indian-controlled Kashmir during 2013

Violence claimed 204 lives in the restive Indian-controlled Kashmir during 2013, a human rights group said Thursday. According to the rights group Coalition of Civil Society (CCS), of the 204 killed, 48 were civilians, 73 were suspected militants, one was unidentified and 82 were Indian troopers. In 2012, the number of recorded deathsdue to violence was 148. The figures suggest compared to 2012, a 38 percent increase in violence across the restive region has been witnessed during last year. A guerrilla war is going on between militants and Indian troops in Indian-controlled Kashmir. The gunfight between the two takes place intermittently across the region. "Last year the number of people killed in violence was comparatively higher in comparison to 2012," said Khurram Parvez, the coordinator of CCS. "The year 2013 continued to add to the losses, victimization, mourning, pain and helplessness of the people here. As usual, the people of region witnessed unabated violence, human rights abuses and denial of civil and political rights." The casualties suffered during 2013 shows an upward trend, especially of Indian troops and civilians. The CCS report, "Human Rights Review 2013," said 82 personnel from armed forces and police were killed last year, which includes eight suicides and four incidents of fratricides. In 2012, the number of troop casualties was 36. Likewise civilian deaths have shown an increase from 35 in 2012 to 48 during last year. "Among the 82 Indian troops killed in 2013, 42 belong to the Indian army, 17 were from the different paramilitary groups, 22 personnel were from police and one was a village defense committee (VDC) member," said Parvez. Indian-controlled Kashmir is considered as the highest militarized region. Officially India does not reveal the actual number of troops it deployed in the troubled region. However, rights activists say there are over 700,000 Indian troops and paramilitary troops in the region fighting an anti-India insurgency that broke out in 1989. During the past more than two decades several incidents of suicide and fratricide among the stationed troops were reported. Health experts say continued separation from family, long duty hours, lack of recreational facilities, poor command and control structure were usually found to be behind such incidents. The number of alleged militants killed last year according to the report is 73, which during 2012 was 75. The CCS report said of the 48 civilians killed in 2013 five were women. It said the civilian killings have taken place at the hands of government forces, suspected militants and some with the fiddling of stray explosives. "Out of the total 48 civilian killings 26 have been directly killed by Indian armed forces (CRPF, BSF, Army, Police and VDC) while as allegedly unidentified gunmen have killed nine persons," said Parvez. "The militants are suspected to have killed five civilians, five more were killed in cross firing and clashes, and three people died due to fiddling with un-exploded explosives." Anti-India sentiment runs deep in the psyche of majority of Kashmiris. A separatist movement challenging New Delhi's rule has been going on in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. Every time a rights violation takes place, residents took to roads to show resistance by hurling brickbats and stones on contingents of police and India's Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel. The latter respond by tear smoke shells and bullets, which often proved fatal. The CCS report also takes dig at the Indian government for neither prosecuting the Indian armed forces for carrying out last year's killings nor holding the officers responsible for their involvement in human rights abuses during their tenure. It also criticizes the Indian government's announced probes and said such exercises have failed to yield results. "Last year the government ordered seven different probes on various human rights abuses. So far no probe has yielded any results, which is not unprecedented as even in the past, probes have been announced by the government to pacify public anger," said Parvez. According to CCS, from 2003 to 2013, governments in the restive region have appointed 170 probes but "justice remains elusive." New Delhi has imposed the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the region, which gives extraordinary powers to its troops such as shooting a person on mere suspicion. Indian troops are consistently accused of grave human rights violations in the restive region since 1989. Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.