Srinagar: In a poignant plea, civil society members and human rights activists in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir have called for an open debate and international intervention to determine the whereabouts of persons missing due to custodial disappearances over the past 36 years.

According to Kashmir Media Service, during a statement released in Srinagar, activists and families of the disappeared underscored the dire need for transparency regarding those who vanished under custody since 1989, a period marked by significant unrest and military activity in the region. The group appealed to the United Nations and global human rights bodies to assist in tracing the missing individuals and to investigate the numerous unmarked graves scattered across districts including Srinagar, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Islamabad, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, Rajouri, and Poonch.

The statement highlighted that over eight thousand young Kashmiris have been reportedly subjected to custodial disappearance by various branches of the security forces, including the Indian Army, paramilitary, Special Operations Group (SOG), and the Special Task Force (STF). Families of the disappeared accuse the police and military forces of withholding information about the fate of those detained during operations and raids.

“The parents want to know about their loved ones whether they are dead or alive. If they are dead or have been killed by Indian forces, let the relatives know or at least be shown their graves,” expressed the community members, voicing the anguish and uncertainty that has lingered for decades among the affected families.