Disappearances In Punjab And The Impunity Of The Indian State

A Report On Current Human Rights Efforts
by Ram Narayan Kumar and Cynthia Mahmood, October 1998

This report is based on information provided by Ram Narayan Kumar and was written primarily by Cynthia Mahmood. The primary audience for this report is intended to be persons, agencies and media outside of India. Many individuals contribute actively to the human rights efforts described here who could not be mentioned by name. Omission of any such person or group here should not be taken as suggesting delegitimation of their work.

For further information and updates contact the Committee for Coordination on Disappearances in Punjab at the address cited in Appendix B. The authors of this report may also be reached via email : ramnarayankumar@hotmail.com or rnk@poboxes.com; cynthiam@maine.maine.edu.

Prologue: Atrocities In Punjab
What This Document Is
Who We Are
Extrajudicial Execution In Punjab
The Legislative Apparatus Of Counterinsurgency
The Cremation Grounds Investigation
The Disappearance Of Jaswant Singh Khalra
The National Human Rights Commission
Accountability And International Commitments
The Committee For Coordination On Disappearances In Punjab
The Peoples' Commission
Silencing Of Human Rights Groups
Further Developments Of The Peoples' Commission And NHRC
Epilogue: India At The Millennium: A Comment And Warning
Appendix A - Chronology Of Events
Appendix B - Incident Report Form (CCDP)
Appendix C - Rules of the Peoples' Commission
Appendix D - References