Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Kashmiris mark 1993 massacre



 
Shutters down, deserted streets, and large contingents of security forces patrolling the streets. Twenty years after a heart-wrenching tragedy struck this apple town in North Kashmir, the wounds have not healed yet and memories are still fresh.

Complete shutdown was observed in northern town of Sopore in Indian-administered-Kashmir to mark the 20th anniversary of Sopore massacre, in which 55 Kashmiri civilians were allegedly killed by the Indian security forces on January 6, 1993.

On that fateful day, according to eye witnesses, Indian security forces opened indiscriminate fire on unarmed civilians after a a security personal was killed in an ambush by militants.

A total number of 55 civilians were killed and many more were injured. The families of victims are still waiting for justice, as the judicial inquiry ordered by state government never conducted any probe and perpetrators were never prosecuted.

The memories of that tragedy still haunt the people in this town.

Authorities say the high civilian casualty resulted due to the intense gunbattle between militants and security forces.
However, witnesses say that security forces resorted to unprovoked fire on the civilians, and set ablaze number of residential houses, shops, and vehicles.

Human rights groups have been demanding independent and impartial probe into the incident. They say the authorities are trying to hush-up the case to avoid the embarrassment for security forces involved in it.

Kashmir's human rights activists accuse Indian government of failing to prosecute security forces involved in human rights violations in Kashmir. A rights group recently released a report documenting more than 200 cases and naming 500 Indian security men involved in crimes including enforced disappearance, killings, rape, and torture, who were let off.

However, Indian government says that it is prosecuting the security forces involved in human rights violations. The government has called for zero tolerance regarding human rights abuses in this region.

Life has come to a grinding halt in northern Kashmir to mark the massacre. The incident is known as one of the worst massacres in the history of the disputed region, with its legacy haunting the locals.

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