Human Rights Organization Human Rights Watch, while criticizing the Indian Army for honoring the military officer who used a citizen as a human shield in Kashmir, said that supporting forces of such anti-law move would help security forces and protesters in the future will also motivate to take such steps.

Human Rights Watch said in a statement yesterday, "To give an award to such officials, including serious human rights violations by the Indian Army, reduces Army's accountability and its stature.''

Human Rights Watch cited Major Nitin Litul Gogoi, who had used a person passing through there to protect the security forces and election workers from a mob in Jammu and Kashmir illegally as a human shield and for them was awarded.

Indian Army defended Gogoi's move. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat while defending the case in an interview had said that the army is facing a disgraceful war in Kashmir which should be dealt with in new ways.

However, Meenakshi Ganguly, director of Human Rights Watch of South Asia, said, "The work of the soldiers in Kashmir is difficult and should reward them for saving the life of the people, but deliberately killing the lives of others and violating their rights. No.''

Ganguly said, "Support by senior military and government officials for anti-law move can inspire security forces and demonstrators to take such illegal steps in the future."

She said, "Praising openly by senior officials expressing brutality reduces the confidence that the government is serious about deciding the security forces's accountability for serious violations."

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