NEW DELHI, Aug 6: Human rights activists in the West are in danger of losing sight of their goal because of the distortions that have crept into this valuable but highly sensitive instrument of international law, feels Claire Galez, Director of a Geneva-based NGO, International Relations and Human Rights Research Centre.

Galez, who was in Delhi recently after her fourth study trip to Kashmir, emphasised the need for constant introspection by the 1,000-odd NGOs working in this field, so that they do not lose the meaning of the term ``human rights''.

``When we talk of human rights violations, how do we define which rights are being violated? Who is the aggressor and who is the aggressed? Sometimes, we seem to be totally mixed up about this,'' she pointed out.

Her views must sound like music to the ears of the Indian establishment which has been fighting a long, hard battle with Western human rights activists on Kashmir.

Although Galez is critical of the violations by the Indian security forces against the Kashmiri people, she is ready to concede the point that the Ministry of External Affairs has been making at various global fora -- that militants also violate human rights in the name of a so-called freedom struggle.

Galez feels that there are only two acceptable definitions of human rights one, the right of an individual to live; two, the right to economic, social and cultural progress. ``We must not confuse the freedom of speech on a human rights platform with the liberty of a Government or a group to carry out its political agenda,'' she warned.

In fact, this Belgian-born activist admitted that Kashmiri and Khalistani terrorist groups have managed to infiltrate several NGOs in the West, and thereby succeeded in creating confusion in the minds of Western policy makers about the real issues in Kashmir and Punjab.

What troubles her is that these groups have ended up damaging the cause of the Kashmiri people because nobody is bothered any more about their plight.And their plight is terrible, she asserted. Six years of militancy has left the economy of the State in tatters and what people want more than anything else is the right to lead a normal, prosperous life. ``They want jobs, they want industry, they want tourism back in the State. The people have turned their back on militancy because they realise how much it has disrupted their lives,'' she said.

Confirming the perception of the Indian Government, which ultimately led to elections in this troubled State last year, Galez said the atmosphere in the towns at least has changed radically since the Farooq Abdullah Government assumed office. ``The people are still totally alienated from the Centre. But they are beginning to look at the State Government for a solution to their problems,'' she revealed.

The situation continues to be tense but she feels that some progress is being made, however slow. Of course, when the Hurriyat leaders call a strike, people still respond.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.