National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Credit: DH File Photo
Srinagar: For the first time, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is set to hear grievances about rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir from February 7 to 9 in Srinagar.
The initiative marks a significant departure from the usual discourse surrounding Kashmir, where grievances often linger unheard amid political tensions and security concerns. The Commission has decided to hold an open public hearing on grievances about human rights violations in the Union Territory (UT) from February 7 to 9.
It will be the first such hearing by the NHRC in Jammu & Kashmir after it was empowered to deal with rights issues of the UT following abolition of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC). The SHRC was among six important government commissions wound up by the Jammu and Kashmir administration on October 31, 2019.
On March 18, 2020, the Center had empowered the NHRC to deal with all human rights concerns in the UT.
A public notice by the NHRC reads that the complaints regarding alleged rights violations can be submitted to the Commission by speed post or email by January 29.
“Such complaints, as deemed fit for enquiry, shall be taken up at the open public hearing. The parties shall be informed in due course about the date and venue of open public hearing,” it reads.
The jurisdiction of the central body NHRC was extended to the UT from October 31, 2019. The NHRC had partial jurisdiction in J&K before the re-organization of the state on August 5, 2019. In March last year, the Supreme Court had asked the government to ensure people in J&K have easy access to the NHRC.