What is Enforced Disappearance?

According to the United Nations’ Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, proclaimed by the General Assembly in its resolution 47/133 of 18 December 1992 as a body of principles for all States, an enforced disappearance occurs when:

“…persons are arrested, detained or abducted against their will or otherwise deprived of their liberty by officials of different branches or levels of Government, or by organized groups or private individuals acting on behalf of, or with the support, direct or indirect, consent or acquiescence of the Government, followed by a refusal to disclose the fate or whereabouts of the persons concerned or a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of their liberty, which places such persons outside the protection of the law.”

A Brief History of Militarization

Since 1989, Kashmir has been put under heavy military control with over 700,000 Indian troops (as per sources) placed in public and private spaces throughout the Kashmir valley.

Enforced Disappearance Since 1989

In the process of militarizing civilian spaces to fight against a homegrown insurgency since 1989, the Indian army and its state forces have subjected 8,000 to 10,000 Kashmiri civilians to enforced disappearance.

The Origins of Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons

Of the 8,000 to 10,000 civilians enforced disappeared, Javaid Ahmad Ahangar of 16 years of age was picked up from his home on August 18, 1990, and never to be found again. His mother, Parveena, began an unending search for him and in the process organized an entire group of family members also looking for their loved ones. The result of such an ongoing search is APDP – Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons, with Parveena Ahangar as the Founder and Chairperson. For over a quarter of a century APDP with the leadership of Parveena has been fighting for justice and demanding answers from the state about the whereabouts of all such 8000 to 10,000 missing Kashmiris.

What We Do

As an internationally recognized human rights organization, we specialize in the following:

APDP actively campaigns for an end to the practice and crime of involuntary and enforced disappearances at local, national and international platforms.
APDP has been engaged in documenting enforced disappearances in Kashmir since 1989 and has collected information on over one thousand such cases so far.
On the 10th of each month, families of the disappeared come together under the aegis of APDP to hold a public protest in Srinagar to commemorate the disappearance of their loved ones and to seek answers from the state about the whereabouts of the missing persons.
APDP provides basic support to families of the enforced disappeared, especially those who were left destitute when their primary providers and breadwinners (often men) were enforced disappeared.
APDP provides medical support to the families of the enforced disappeared who cannot get such support by themselves. Among such families are elderly parents who have been waiting for their loved ones for over two decades.
APDP maintains regular contact with the families of the enforced disappeared through its main office in Srinagar and checks on their status.
APDP provides free expert consultation to a variety of scholars, researchers, artists, journalists, writers, film-makers, etc. who are interested in the topic of enforced disappearance in Kashmir to raise awareness about this serious violation of human rights.
Under the leadership of our founder, Parveena Ahangar, APDP attends multiple international events at different conferences and institutions.
APDP offers internship and volunteer work opportunities to those interested in helping the organization.

A Provisional Biography of a Journey Towards Justice for the Enforced Disappeared

There are reportedly over 8,000 cases of enforced disappearances in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. These disappearances began in the 1990s even before the enactment and implementation of The Jammu & Kashmir Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in September 1990, which provides impunity for India’s armed forces.

The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons, Kashmir (APDP) was co-founded in 1994 by Parveena Ahangar with the support of legal professionals and activists as well as the victim families of enforced disappearances. Parvez Imroz, who now heads the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), was part of this co-founding process. APDP is the oldest human rights movement and organisation in Kashmir. This biography focuses on the APDP led by Parveena Ahangar.

Parveena Ahangar’s son, Javaid Ahmed Ahangar was enforced disappeared between the night of the 17th of August and the early morning hours of August 18, 1990. Given this catastrophic event, Parveena Ahangar embarked on journey to search for her son, a journey which led to the formation of APDP and the formation of a movement against enforced disappearances in Kashmir. This biography places this story in the broader political context of Kashmir, discusses the importance of memory for the movement, and the gendered and international context of this movement. The biography ends with some narrative testimonies from APDP members.

Reports

120 Days: 5th August to 5th December — A Report by APDP

This report is a narrative of the situation that arose in Kashmir valley, after the events of August 5th 2019. The report sheds light on the impact of the abrogation of Article 370 in the Indian Administered State of Jammu of Kashmir. The report highlights the political history of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and outlines its accession to the Union of India. Further, it looks into the history of Article 370 and its incorporation into the Indian Constitution. It also makes a detailed study into its constant erosion by the Indian State, from time to time.

My World is Dark — State Violence and Pellet-firing Shotgun Victims from the 2016 Uprising in Kashmir

This report records testimonies from 23 victims of pellet gun injuries. These testimonies reveal how the injuries have completely transformed the victims’ lives and destroyed their futures, rendering people unemployed and impoverished, in a helpless state.

Researchers from the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), a human rights organization based in Srinagar, Kashmir, have collected nearly 300 testimonies of pellet gun victims. This is only a fraction of the total number of victims. When placed within the context of stepped-up state repression following popular protests in 2016, they portray a state of total war against a civilian population.

Press Releases

Statement from Parveena Ahangar: NIA Raid on APDP Office and Seizure of APDP Documents

The following is the Statement from Parveena Ahangar pertaining to the NIA raid on APDP’s office and seizure of APDP’s documents on 28th October 2020.

Universal Periodic Review Response – APDP Press Release

The response of the Indian state to the recommendations as laid down during the UPR3 in 2017 has come. The member countries like Pakistan, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Germany, Norway etc have recommended certain measures to be taken to improve the existing laws in India. Some countries like Pakistan and Germany had shown displeasure over the draconian laws like AFSPA that have been implemented in Kashmir in particular.
Indian state, like always, has responded in vague. It has again repeated to rectify some treaties like it had promised in the last two UPR’s. It has provided certain justification to the continual implementation of AFSPA in certain parts of India and in Kashmir.
India in its response has justified the presence of AFSPA by playing the card of national security interests and linked it with terrorism. However, we maintain that this is a ploy to dodge the repeal of AFSPA.

Universal Periodic Preview – APDP Press Release

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a process which involves a review of the human rights records of all UN Member States. The UPR is a State-driven process, under the auspices of the Human Rights Council, which provides the opportunity for each State to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and to fulfill their human rights obligations. As one of the main features of the Council, the UPR is designed to ensure equal treatment for every country when their human rights ssituations are assessed.
The UPR was created through the UN General Assembly on 15 March 2006 by resolution 60/251, which established the Human Rights Council itself. It is a cooperative process which, by October 2011, has reviewed the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States. Currently, no other universal mechanism of this kind exists. The ultimate aim of this mechanism is to improve the human rights situation in all countries and address human rights violations wherever they occur.

Videos

The Dear Disappeared (2018) – Iffat Fatima

The Dear Disappeared (2018) – is a film about the enforced disappearance of Fayaz Ahmad Beigh, Srinagar, Kashmir in 1990. This film has been partially funded through Dr. Goldie Osuri’s collaborative project with The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (The project was funded by the University of Warwick’s Social Sciences ESRC Impact Acceleration Account).

The Endless Wait for Justice: Enforced Disappearances in Kashmir – by Video Volunteers

Nadiya Shafi reports from Jammu & Kashmir for Video Volunteers. Parveena Ahangar has united victims across the valley to demand that the state gives them back their disappeared family members.

Where Have You Hidden My New Moon Crescent – by Iffat Fatima

The film “Where Have You Hidden My New Moon Crescent” is made in collaboration with the Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons in Kashmir (APDP). The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), is a collective of the family members of the victims of enforced disappearances in Kashmir, seeking information about the whereabouts of their disappeared relatives.

The film is a tribute to Mughal Mase and her relentless quest for justice and redress. It explores issues of memory, violence and healing. Mughal Mase lived in Habba Kadal, Srinagar, Kashmir. On September 1, 1990, her only son Nazir Ahmed Teli, who was a teacher was disappeared, never to be found again.

Kashmiris: Contested Present, Possible Futures (Session II) – University of Westminster and the University of Warwick

A joint event organised by the Emerging Powers programme, Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR), University of Westminster; and the University of Warwick (Institute of Advanced Study, the Department of Sociology and the Connecting Cultures as well as the International Development Global Research Priorities Networks).

Organisers: Dr Dibyesh Anand (University of Westminster) and Dr Goldie Osuri (University of Warwick)

11.45-1pm Panel two — State violence, human rights abuses and struggle for justice

Parveena Ahangar
Professor Fozia Qazi (translator)
Dr Goldie Osuri (moderator)
(Documentary film at the start is by Iffat Fatima)

Awards

2017 Rafto Prize for Human Rights – Parveena Ahangar and Parvez Imroz

Parveena Ahangar and Parvez Imroz have long been at the forefront of the struggle against arbitrary abuses of power in a region of India that has borne the brunt of escalating violence, militarisation and international tension.

Their long campaign to expose human rights violations, promote dialogue and seek peaceful solutions to the intractable conflict in Kashmir has inspired new generations across communities. Parveena Ahangar protests against enforced dissapearances and challenges the perpetrators of violence. She is the founder and leader of the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) which arranges peaceful protests and offers practical assistance to victims.