Despite passing of nearly three decades since 22 civilians were allegedly killed by Border Security Forces (BSF) personnel in Handwara town on this day in 1990, the memories of the incident are still fresh in the minds of survivors.
To mark the 28th death anniversary of victims, most of them Handwara residents, a shutdown was observed in this north Kashmir town on Thursday. The locals who visited the graveyard to pay tributes to the slain demanded registration of a murder case against accused.
Shops and commercial establishments remained closed and transport was off the roads. Joint Resistance Leadership had called for a shutdown in the town the massacre anniversary. Recollection of gory scene that happened a day before the R-Day in 1990 sent shivers down the spine of a survivor of the incident. MLA Langate Er Rashid led a protest march in the town to pay tributes to the victims.
“The BSF soldiers whose vehicle was struggling to move ahead in a protest near police station Handwara went berserk and fired indiscriminately on the demonstration. I still recollect the horrible scene…people falling on ground and blood splattered all around,” Fayaz Ahmad, a Handwara resident, who somehow survived the firing incident told Greater Kashmir.
“People were screaming all around and the most difficult task was to evacuate the injured to hospital in absence of ambulance or vehicles as the town was shut. The firing went on for about 20 minutes and somehow the victims were rushed to Handwara hospital and from there to Baramulla and Srinagar hospital by the volunteers,” he added.
According to locals, the firing incident took place when Handwara town was shut and the locals had held a protest demonstration against the Gaw Kadal massacre in which at least 50 people were killed. “The BSF soldiers travelling in TATA- 407 vehicle bearing registration number (No. HVN-7717) from Waripora to Handwara were behind the cold-blooded killings,” they claimed.
The relatives demanded that a memorial be built at the main chowk for the victims of the massacre.
On the occasion, Er Rashid, paid tributes to the slain and demanded that the guilty soldiers’ must be brought to book.
“Resolution of the conflict is the only way forward to end bloodshed in Kashmir. It is unfortunate that despite 28 years of massacre the guilty soldiers have not been brought to book for cold blooded killings,” Rashid said while addressing locals.
“We must realize gun can only lead to death and destruction. It is high time the government should initiate a meaningful dialogue to resolve the vexed Kashmir dispute according to the aspirations of people,” he added.
Paying rich tributes to the victims of Handwara and Kupwara massacres, Er Rasheed in a separate statement said, “bigger claims apart, leadership has failed to take care of the families of martyrs who are living in miserable conditions.”
“The nation has sacrificed in all forms and it is now duty of the leadership to make sacrifices result oriented and ensure less loss to human lives. Bigger claims apart, leadership has failed to take care of the families of martyrs who are living in miserable conditions. Just crying and seeking justice may yield nothing unless Kashmiris follow the right way and leadership will lay down a strategy that force New Delhi and Pakistan to listen them,” he added.