Indian govt offers DNA testing to identify people buried in Kashmir mass graves
(Read: Rights violation: Over 2,000 found buried in Kashmir’s unmarked graves)
Last month, Kashmir's State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) reported that more than 2,000 unidentified bodies had been found in unmarked graves. Activists allege many of them were of people who have disappeared after being arrested by security forces.
"If (relatives of the missing persons) come to us with samples we will be more than prepared to carry out DNA testing," chief minister Omar Abdullah told the state assembly.
"It will take time. It will not happen overnight but a beginning can be made. It is not our intention to hide the truth," he said.
The recommendations of the SHRC have often been ignored by the state government in the past, but Abdullah said its latest report would not be ignored.
Human rights activists say close to 8,000 people have gone missing in Kashmir during 20 years of rebellion against New Delhi's rule over the Muslim-majority region.
Officials put the number of missing at between 1,000 and 3,000 and deny the security forces killed them, saying the men crossed over into Pakistan for arms training.
Officials also say those buried in the unmarked graves were militants - mostly Pakistanis - killed in clashes with Indian soldiers and police.
Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, which each country holds in part but claims in full.
The insurgency has left more than 47,000 people dead since 1989, according to an official count. Human rights groups put the toll at double that number.
Amnesty International demands independent probe
Amnesty International demanded that the Indian government ought to set up an independent panel to probe the recent discovery of unmarked graves - containing more than two-thousand unidentified bodies.
(Read: Calls for impartial probe: Rights group asks India to probe Kashmir graves)
Single and mass graves located in three northern districts contain 2156 unidentified bodies. At least 574 are known to be those of local residents.
The revelation made in August by a state-run commission reversed years of Indian insistence that the bodies were those of foreign militants killed in fighting with Indian forces.
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A good idea. The best thing to do would be to send the samples to the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics at Hyderabad. This is a Govt laboratory. Further I carried DNA identification of such cases in Chattisinghpora Sikh massacre of March 20, 2000. I established identity to the satisfaction of the families of the victims. Govt of J & K should consider this and ask a team of scientists to come and collect samples and identify the dead at the earliest since the technology is available. 2000 bodies can be identified within a month's time.
The truth must come to light. If there is a mass killing then the culprits be brought to justice if they can be found.
John B
If they are unidentified and no body know who are they and where they come from then why one should call them millitants. !!!??
Mass grave is different from unmarked graves. ET should carefully choose the words. Indian gov has been saying that unindentified militants were buried after a period if no one claims the body.
The question is who are they and where did they come from?
Will the relatives give DNA for identification?
Good move. I can clearly see Omar Abdullah's hand behind this. Hope he achieves the greatness of his Grandfather.