Kupwara Massacre - 26th January 1994

It was on 27 January 1994 that 27 civilians, mostly traders of Kupwara town, fell to indiscriminate firing by Army men. After a lapse of around 20 years, justice continues to elude the families of victims. The survivors allege that the massacre was carried out by the soldiers to punish the people for observing shutdown on January 26. Memories of the massacre are still fresh in the minds of people and they are waiting for the day when the perpetrators would be punished.

“A patrol party of Punjab regiment of Army had warned the shopkeepers on the eve of January 26 of dire consequences if they observe strike and didn’t celebrate the R-day, next day,” said a local shopkeeper who survived the massacre.

When blood poured the streets

Gawkadal massacre is perhaps the first massacre in the history in which signals of massacre were given well before conducting the massacre. On the frightful day of January 20, 1990 Jagmohan’s first address as governor dumbfounded everyone. It was clear cut provocative address.

In his address he stated:” I have come as a nurse. I will not take any salary. I will just take rupees 1000 to meet my personal expenses. I have promise you a clean administration. But if anybody creates a law and order problem, Meray Haathon say Aman ka patta Khisak jaye ga (the cards of peace I’m carrying will slip away from my hands)."

Bijbehara Massacre (22 October 1993)

It had been a week since the Dargath Hazratbal was placed under siege by the army on October 15, 1993 to flush out a group of JKLF militants, who had taken shelter inside the shrine complex. The siege caused widespread anger across Kashmir which would find expression in the form of protest demonstrations.

On October 22, after Friday prayers, around 15,000 people gathered in the court yard of the local Jamia Masjid Bijbehara to register their protest against the siege. A procession then started marching through various streets shouting slogans for the ending of the Hazratbal siege and in support of Kashmir’s freedom.

Kashmir: Sopore Massacre - 6 Jan 1993

By Noorul Haq

I was just 8 years old, when my neighboring town Sopore, was burnt down to ashes. A kid not fully involved in the politics of Kashmir but listening to BBC and VOA with my family was a habit, yet sans that feeling of belongingness with Kashmir freedom struggle. In the evening it was habitual to learn about the killings, tortures and all brutalities carried out by Indian army in and around Kashmir. On 6th January 1993 one more massacre was added to the history of Kashmir The horror news tonight was, that Sopore town has been burnt down to ashes and people killed. Simply it was a massacre .

It all happened on the morning of 6 January 1993 when a group of armed JKLF militants attacked a platoon of Border Security Force soldiers at Baba Yousuf Lane near Sopore and killing at least one. After this incident the security forces fired at local residents and set fire to local homes and businesses. The Indian Government initially claimed that the high civilian casualties were the result of an intense gun battle between the BSF soldiers and militants in which an explosives cache belonging to the militants exploded and spread the fire to nearby buildings. However, the government was later prompted to initiate a judicial inquiry into the matter and was also forced to suspend several BSF officers due to the widespread publicity that the incident had generated.