Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, Senior BJP and Kashmiri Pandit leader and Incharge: J&K BJP Department of Political Feedback took up the issue of the establishment of Special Crimes Tribunal with the NHRC and the government. In his letter sent to the Chairman, National Human Rights Commission with a copy to the LG, J&K and also to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the PMO, Chrungoo said that the posters circulated in the Kashmir valley by a terror outfit namely TRF, recently after the brutal killing of an elected KP Sarpanch, is a new phenomenon once again.
This may be seen in context of the 21 year old “prophecy” of the NHRC Court decision of June 1999 that, “acts akin to Genocide were committed against the Kashmiri Pandits…….and…..a Genocide type design may exist in the minds and utterances of the militants and terrorists in the valley against the Pandits….”
Chrungoo who was the main Complainant of the case of Genocide of the Kashmiri Pandit community brought to the notice of NHRC in 1994, said further that it was high time that the Commission adviced the UT government in consultation with the Central government to establish a “Special Crimes Tribunal” to investigate the excesses committed against the Pandits and the other minorities of the UT. He hoped that the Commission takes due notice and initiates an appropriate action on priority.
The judgement in the case was delivered by the NHRC Court in 1999, which remained unimplemented till date by the successive governments. The case spearheaded by Chrungoo and his team was, in its later stage, extended support by AIKS, IAKF, ICKF and IEKF. The then prominent Criminal lawyer and Sr. Council of the Supreme Court of India, P.N.Lekhi represented Kashmiri Pandits, the victims of Genocide, in the NHRC Court from 1996 to 1999.
This case assumed significance in relation to the application of the Convention on Prevention and Punishment of Crime of Genocide in India in reference to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and has thus been also included in the syllabus by a number of Universities across India and abroad.
