Conflict, Sexual Violence, and the Culture of Impunity in Kashmir - Reminiscing The Past and Imagining The Future

Abstract

The conflict in Kashmir has seen sexual violence as an epidemic. Sexual violence and rape have been used as an instrument of war against Kashmiris. Kunan Poshpora is one such incident that witnessed the mass rape of Kashmiri women. There are many similar incidents of sexual violence and rape of Kashmiri women. The Army Act, of 1950 and the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990 (AFSPA) have created a culture of impunity for sexual violence-related offences against the armed forces. This paper explores the Kunan Poshpora incident and its aftermath. It also delves into the effects of conflicts on women and explores the other types of violence faced by Kashmiri women. The targeting of Kashmiri civilian women as militant sympathisers and the use of rape to discipline the entire community have been looked at in detail. This chapter also explores how sexual violence is used against men in wars and the case in Kashmir since it is not widely looked at. Lastly, the chapter suggests some ways in which the culture of impunity can be dismantled.