"We shall never allow the past to be forgotten, and we shall never allow it to happen again to future generations. The justice we seek lies not in forgetting the past but in remembering those which should never be forgotten."
The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) was founded in 1994 when a large number of enforced or involuntary disappearances began taking place in Jammu and Kashmir after the outbreak of the conflict. A group of relatives of the missing people then set themselves the task of collective action against the phenomenon of disappear-ances, which were unknown in Jammu and Kashmir before 1989. Since its formation, more and more relatives have joined the association; and after constant struggle, the association has now been able to make disappearances in Kashmir an issue. The association is currently campaigning for the following: (1) to stop this inhuman practice that is not permissible even in times of war (in the year 2000, 91 people disappeared in Kashmir); (2) to repeal impunity laws and bring the perpetrators to court; and (3) to seek indemnification for the victims of disappearances.
The association is one of the core members of the Asian Federation against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), which was founded in Manila in June 1998, and with the help of members from other Asian countries-the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka-is campaigning against enforced disappearances in Asia.
After interacting with organisations in Latin America that have been campaigning against enforced disappearances in their countries for the past 20 years, the members of the association have been moved by the memorials raised by these organisations in the memory of the disappeared. As an emotional sanctum, there have been memorials built in many places in almost all countries of Latin America for people who were killed during protests or demonstrations that have become a place of consolation for the families of the victims. These memorials also can be used to symbolise a commitment to new values. The words of Mojapelo about the Thokaza monument in South Africa are a good example:
"Through this monument, we have a simple message for the future generations and the rest of the world: never, never, never again will we allow our community to bleed this way."
The memorials are a symbol of new hope and new life in the communities. They serve as a break between the past and the future. They help the communities in the journey of self-redefinition. They may also serve as symbols of good and bad at the same time. They remind the communities about the troubled past and comfort them with new hope for the future regarding their commitments to new values.
In contrast with other monuments, those erected to remember the enforced disappearance of people is needed more than other memorials because the relatives are deprived of the graves of their loved ones and have no place where they can give emotional vent to their feelings for their beloved ones. The relatives of the victims of extrajudicial executions or custodial deaths have at least the thousands of graves to provide some solace to them, and they can offer fateha (an Islamic prayer for the dead) to them. The memorials constructed in the name of enforced disappearances in Latin America and other Asian countries, like Sri Lanka where a large number of disappearances have taken place and a monument has become the emotional sanctum for the relatives, offer useful examples.
In Kashmir, the association feels a similar need. The association fears that between 4,000 and 5,000 people between the age of 17 and 40, with some exceptionally old and some very young, have disappeared through the operations of law enforcement agencies that are equipped with draconian laws, like the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which provides impunity-the major factor behind these crimes against humanity-during their campaign against militancy. The relatives of missing people in Kashmir are more than 100,000, including widows and thousands of children. They are deprived of the graves of their beloved ones and also the rituals which provide relief to relatives. The families are confused, though most of them have reconciled themselves about the deaths of their beloved ones, but a number of relatives refuse to accept their death until and unless the dead bodies are not found. The majority of the relatives are desperately in need of a memorial where they can visit and pay homage to their missing relatives and pray collectively for them.
The association in January 2000 made a decision to raise a monument and approached architects, artists and sculptors in the Kashmir Valley. Many professionals attended the meetings and promised to provide their professional expertise. A model was then prepared. It will be a non-figurative monument bearing the names of the disappeared. In addition, there will be a library in which research information about the missing people will be kept and a hall for prayers. The monument will be erected near Idgah in the heart of Srinagar adjacent to the Shaheed graveyard.
The association further decided to undertake a large fund-raising campaign with the funds generated from local people. For this purpose, students, artists, academicians and professionals from different spheres of life were galvanised for fund-raising, which sought donations from non-political sources. Although the political parties can play a vital role in the process of building the monument, they often are tempted to use community projects to advance their party's political interests, and hence, it is preferable that this be avoided. Appeals were also made to businessmen and traders to donate material with a request to perform voluntary labour or karseva as well. Businessmen and traders can also assist financially in the projects, and research organisations are welcome to capture history in the making. Meanwhile, the contribution of the relatives of the disappeared has helped forge a bond between them and their missing sons and daughters.
The association appealed to people to provide feedback regarding the proposed model for the monument. The association feels that the monument is a symbol against oppression and tyranny and that all people belonging to different regions, communities and religions that have respect for human dignity, truth and justice should be involved in this cause.
On July 18, the foundation of this historical monument was laid with human rights activists from different parts of India and Asia invited for this historical moment. After the foundation stone was laid, however, the memorial was razed to the ground the next day by the state government. Why does the government fear a memorial built for those who are missing? Was it their guilt that propelled the rulers to demolish it? Whatever the reason, silence on this matter feeds the sense of alienation of the Kashmiri people. Not unsurprisingly, they are not inspired to believe that the Indian government cares much about them.
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