CIVIL LIBERTIES July 2000, a senior Hizbul-Mujahideen leader made the announcement of a unilateral ceasefire for three months. This was welcomed by the Government and efforts were immediately made to initiate a dialogue. However, other militant groups soon denounced the unilateral ceasefire announcement and more than a 100 people were killed in an orgy of violence in Jammu and Kashmir on 1, 2 and 10 August 2000, including pilgrims on the AmarnathYatra, labourers and jotumalists. On 21November 2000, 5 Sikhs who were driving trucks were killed at Banihal, while on 24 November 2000,5 Hindus were killed on a bus in Doda. 3.9 Despite such efforts to provoke a state of terror in the general public and to further vitiate the atmosphere in the State, the Commission was heartened by the bold decision, made at the highest level of Government, not to initiate any combat operations against militants in Jammu and Kashmir during the holy month of Ramzan, which started on 27 November 2000 and the subsequent extension, on two occasions, of that decision,^e Commission also welcomed the decisions announced at the policy level to accelerate economic development, to seek to redress the genuine difficulties of the people of the State and to initiate talks with those who eschewed the path of violence. It was a matter of deep disappointment that these initiatives were, unfortunately, sabotaged by groups operating from across the border. As a result, the opportunity for peace was once again postponed and the State continued to witness the loss of life and the violadon of hiunan rights. 3.10 For its part, the Commission continued to take action, both suo motu and on the basis of complaints, on reports of human rights violations in the State. In the course of the reporting period, 295 complaints were received, many of which listed a dozen or more incidents alleging serious violations of humanrights. The great majority of the complaints were directed against the conduct of the armed forces and police in the State. They included allegations, inter alia, of enforced disappearances, illegal detention, torture, custodial deaths, extra-judicial killings and fake encounters. , 3.11 In each such case, the Commission issued notice to the competent authorities of the State and to the Defence and Home Ministry as appropriate. As responses were received, and as the Commission issued directives in respect of them, particular efforts were made to keep the complainants informed of the steps and decisions taken. In a number of instances, when the allegations were especially grave, the complainants were invited to visit the Commission so that they could be briefed in d^ail on the efforts being made. ANNUAL REPORT 2000-2001 ' j 13