Srinagar, May 31 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, Indian troops and police personnel continue to subject children to torture, detention and custodial killings.

This has been stated in a write-up by Dr Shaukat Hussain titled ‘Children—Victims of Torture' in a recently released journal of the Kashmir University’s law department.

The report reads that the children continue to live in a miserable condition and the only way to improve the situation is to appoint a special UN rapporteur to monitor their plight. “Indian Police and secret agencies often subject children to detention in order to get information about their relatives involved or perceived to be involved in freedom struggle.” the article further reads.

Quoting a news report published in a local newspaper ‘Greater Kashmir’ dated January 14, 2007, Dr Shaukat writes that although adequate safeguards do exists for protection of children under laws, but the children in the occupied territory continue to be used as human shields during combat operations.

“Children are used for mine clearing activities, detained for indefinite periods without any reason. It is children who mostly become target of fake encounters and if parent of child get killed at the hands of occupation forces, they are not entitled to any relief and rehabilitation packages,” the article reads, adding, “Rape is used as a weapon of war to terrorize Kashmiris and school going children especially the girls are harassed while on their way to school.”

“People don’t have much hope on the investigations undertaken by the so-called State Human Rights Commission as the commission according to its former Chairman, Justice (Retd) AQ Parray is toothless. Referring to the drowning of 22 school children and their teachers at the hands of Indian navy personnel in the Wular Lake, the report said, “An enquiry commission established by the puppet administration has confirmed the negligence and mischief of the navy personnel in the incident, but nobody has been punished.”