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| Equity eludes Jammu even in general amnesty cases | | | KUNAL SHRIVATSA
JAMMU, Feb 11: Even as the state government keeps on repeating that it treats all three regions equally, its actions like granting general amnesty to Kashmiri youth involved in stone pelting and other related violent acts, however, contradicts the claims as almost similar cases pertaining to Amarnath land agitation of 2008 still haunt the youth of Jammu.
The dual policy of the government in handling criminal cases against the youth of two major regions of the state has once again given weightage to the assertions of Jammuites that they are being neglected and ignored in every sphere of life. While general amnesty has been granted to more than 1800 youth involved in stone pelting and other related violence in Kashmir Valley, the Jammu youth booked for Amarnath land agitation of 2008 have not been extended such favours even though an agreement reached between the leaders of agitation and the government that cases would be condoned and no action will be taken against the agitators by the administration or police.
The government said that 1811 youths were granted general amnesty in stone-pelting and other related cases registered in 2010 and 2011 in Kashmir while replying in written to a question of PDP MLA Choudhary Zulfikar Ali in the State Legislative Assembly here today. The reply further stated that amnesty had been granted to youth involved in 230 cases of stone-pelting during 2010 and 2011 adding that of these cases, 228 had been withdrawn and proceedings in the remaining two were underway, the government said.It said there was no proposal under its consideration to grant amnesty to any militant or terrorist involved in heinous crime. In August 2011, the state government announced an amnesty scheme for the youths arrested since March 2010 for their involvement in stone pelting and other related violence, excluding those reportedly involved in arson and damage to public property and other heinous crimes. The scheme was aimed to facilitate youths to pursue higher education and to ensure that their involvement in these cases did not affect the verification of their character and antecedents for obtaining passports, jobs and loans, the written reply said.The written reply also disclosed that as many as 2396 persons have been arrested and lodged in various jails of the state. As on January 30, 2014 total number of convicts stood at 339 while the number of under trials was 1875. The number of detenues arrested under Public Safety Act (PSA) was 35 whereas two civil prisoners, six condemned prisoners and 139 foreign nationals are lodged in different jails of the state. However, the government reply did not disclose the identity of the prisoners keeping in view their security. |
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