The Dogra rule, followed by Indian occupation in 1947, is a bleak
chapter in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. The Dogra rule, which
continued from 1846-1947, is considered as the gloomiest period.
Indian armed forces occupied a major part of Jammu and Kashmir on
October 27, 1947 and the occupation is still continuing.
The Indian troops pursued the policy of suppression in a systematic
manner to reduce the overwhelming Muslim majority in occupied Jammu
and Kashmir. To achieve this objective Indian troops started the
process of mass massacre. There are plenty of events and evidences to
support this gory fact. Some of the events are mentioned as under:
July 13, 1931
The people of Kashmir have been raising their voices against the Dogra
usurpation of their land and as a result, they faced brutal
consequences. On July 13, 1931, a large number of Kashmiris, gathered
in front of the Srinagar central jail, at a time when the trial of a
youth, Abdul Qadeer, accused of involvement in a case of agitation,
was in progress inside the jail. The objective was to demonstrate
solidarity with the young man. As the time for obligatory prayer
approached, a young Kashmiri stood for Azan(Call for the prayer), The
Dogra police opened fire on him, and he got martyred. Thereby, another
youth took the place of the martyred young man and started Azan. He
too was shot dead. In this way, 22 Kashmiris embraced martyrdom, in
their efforts to complete the Azan.
August 26, 1947
Earlier in June 1947, people of Poonch had launched a no-tax campaign
against the heavy taxation of Maharaja. To curb the agitation,
Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra ruler of the state, ordered the
use of brute military force. On August 26, the mobs clashed with the
Dogra-armed forces. The Dogra troops opened bran-gun fire on the huge
crowd of 5,000 civilians, martyring and wounding hundreds of them.
October-November 1947
Maharaja Hari Singh fled from Srinagar to Jammu on October 26th 1947,
as the liberation armed activists were poised in Srinagar's suburbs to
capture the city. On reaching Jammu, he issued orders to his troops
and police besides the Hindu extremist groups, to kill Muslims found
anywhere. The Muslims were asked to assemble in parade ground in Jammu
so that they would be driven to Pakistan in lorries. While on their
way, on October 20, 1947, eight thousand Muslims were massacred at
Malatank Jammu. On October 22, 1947 at least 14000 Muslims were
massacred at Saniya Jammu and 15,000 Muslims were gunned down near the
bridge at Akhnoor. On November 5 and 6, 1947, more than 100 lories
were loaded with women, children and old men who were taken into the
wilderness of Kuthua forests. Hindu extremists and armed gangs were
let loose on these innocent people and an unparallel butchery was
perpetrated, killing thousands of them. Women were raped, molested and
their valuables looted. All these bloodsheds were taking place in full
view of the Indian army, which had by that time occupied a major part
of the state. In another act of butchery, a large gathering of 25000
Muslims, in Miran Sahib and Ranbir Singhpora, were machine-gunned.
On 9th November 30, while on their way to Pakistan, through Suchitgad
route, nearly 300,000 people, were massacred in cold blood.
The British daily "the London Times," wrote on October 10, 1947 in a
report from its special correspondent in India that the Maharaja,
under `his own supervision, got assassinated 237,000 Muslims, using
military forces, in Jammu area. The editor of "Statesman" Ian Stephen,
in his book "Horned Moon" wrote that till the end of autumn 1947, more
than 200,000 Muslims were assassinated. Right from 1947, the fury of
mass killings go on unabated. Kashmiris suffered massacres in 1965 and
1971. Since 1989, India increased its acts of brutalities and people
were killed enmasse. Some of the savage events are as under.
January 15, 1990
In Handwara town, the Indian army and paramilitary forces shot dead 17
unarmed civilians including one woman when they subjected peaceful
protesters to unprovoked firing.
January 21, 1990
55 innocent civilians were killed in the localities of Basantbagh and
Gawkadal, in Srinagar city by CRPF troops when more than 20,000 people
took to the streets, defying curfew.
January 22, 1990
The Indian army and paramilitary forces, resorted to unprovoked firing
at Alamghari Bazar, Srinagar and killed many unarmed civilians. The
people had come out unarmed to protest against the military killings
at Gaw Kadal in Srinagar.
January 25, 1990
26 civilians, most of them pedestrians, were shot dead in Handwara
town of Kupwara district. The township was set afire by BSF, after the
latter was panicked by a bang. Some of the slain persons, including
women, were roasted alive.
March 1, 1990
In order to halt massive demonstrations by the people, who were to
submit a memorandum to UNMOGIP, Indian army opened fire at Tengpora
bypass and Zakoora crossing in Srinagar, killing 21 and 26
demonstrators, respectively.
May 21, 1990
Fifty nine persons were put to death by CRPF troops near Islamia
College Srinagar. The unarmed civilian mourners, were carrying the
dead body of late Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad Farooq, prominent liberation
leader and father of former APHC chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. More
than three hundred people were injured. Five women, one of them
pregnant, were killed. Even minors were not spared. The forces did not
spare even the coffin-bearers. The dead body of late Mirwaiz was also
shot at.
August 6, 1990
The troops besieged Mashali Mohalla, in Srinagar, raided the houses of
local inhabitants and killed innocent civilians. In this incident,
more than two-dozen people were brutalized, of whom nine died on the
spot. Some others could not be identified as their bodies had been
disfigured.
August 10, 1990
BSF cordoned off the whole area of Pazipora, Kupwara. The male inmates
were ordered to gather in a park for identification parade. The locals
objected to let ladies stay at their homes without being accompanied
by any male members. Later the forces, in absence of male members,
entered the houses, raped and molested a number of ladies. By hue and
cry of the ladies, the male members tried to rush to their respective
homes in order to rescue the ladies from the clutches of the armed
forces. But the troops fired on the unarmed civilians of the locality
and killed 25 of them on the spot.
September 11, 1990
A civil passenger bus, carrying about fifty persons, was intercepted
by the BSF troops. Passengers, who tried to come down and save
themselves, were fired upon. 22 civilians died on the spot. The bus
was set on fire due to which, eight persons got burnt alive. The
driver and the conductor of the vehicle were also killed on the spot.
October 01, 1990
The BSF personnel, deployed in Handwara town of Kupwara district,
started indiscriminate firing on the unarmed civilians, who were busy
in marketing activities, killing 20 of them on the spot.
October 08, 1990
In Rainawari Srinagar, the Indian armed forces set ablaze a number of
houses and when the people tried to put out the fire, the forces
indiscriminately fired on them due to which many persons, including
Ghulam Muhammad Gasi, Muhammad Yousuf Gujri, Muhammad Yousuf Dar,
Muhammad Yousuf Bhat, Shaikh Nawaz Pal and some more got killed.
December 24, 1990
At Charar-e-Sharief, in Budgam district armed forces cordoned off the
area and fired indiscriminately, resulting in killing of a
ten-month-old baby and five other innocent people.
January 19, 1991
The personnel of 42-CRPF Bn opened indiscriminate fire, killing 11
civilians in Magarmalbagh, Srinagar. Most of the victims were waiting
for bus and being a busy place, most of the passers-by received bullet
shots and died on the spot.
January 30, 1991
In Achabal Islamabad, the Indian armed forces opened indiscriminate
fire, killing seven innocent persons.
March 11, 1991
At Rakhi Haigam, Sopore, in Baramullah district, Indian armed forces
started indiscriminate firing, killing six civilians, including
Manzoor Ahmad Dar aged 12 years.
March 12, 1991
At Zakoora Nagbal, Srinagar, the BSF troops fired on unarmed
civilians. The passers-by started taking shelter in the nearby houses
and shops. However, the forces cordoned off the area and killed many
civilians, including Ghulam Nabi Rangrez of Bohri Kadal, Abdul Hamid
Magray of Nowbug, Habib Ullah and his minor son Mehraj-ud-Din Teli of
Zakoora.
March 16,1991
The Indian troops cordoned the area in Pishwari Trehgam, in Kupwara
district. At that time, about 12 persons were offering prayers in a
Mosque within the cordoned area. The forces directed the worshipers to
come out of the Mosque but they could not come out, as they were
engaged in the prayers. The forces entered into the Mosque and started
firing. The Imam (Leader of the prayers) did not break the prayers. He
was shot in his head. Other persons were dragged in the compound of
the Mosque and six more persons were shot dead.
May 5, 1991
At Khayam, Khanyar in Sriangar, the troops fired indiscriminately on
the pedestrians due to which, five persons including a girl, Aisha,
aged three years were killed.
May 8, 1991
In Pir Dastgeer, Khanyar locality of down town Srinagar, troops of
CRPF, BSF's 2nd and 60th -Bn opened fire on thousands of people,
assembled to bury some martyred Kashmiris. 18 civilians were killed.
In this incident, one infant aged two years, and his father were also
killed.
June 11, 1991
The CRPF troops opened indiscriminate fire, having been frightened by
the sound of a tire burst, leaving 32 civilians killed in the densely
populated area of Chotabazar, Srinagar. The killed included,
shopkeepers, passers-by, old persons, women and children.
September 03, 1991
At Safanagri and Nelora, in Pulwama district, the armed forces fired
on unarmed civilians and more than 23 got killed.
April 2, 1992
In Aloosa village of Bandipore tehsil of Baramullah district, the
villagers were kept confined to the village limits for the whole day
by the Indian troops, while those out for fishing were fired upon. At
least five boatmen were killed in the firing. Many bodies were
recovered from the Wular Lake as they had been made to sink by tying
heavy stones to their limbs.
April 13, 1992
Early in the hours, BSF troops charged into the area, comprising
Mohalla Hajama, Talian, Syed Sultanpora, Mahrajpora, and Chinkipora,
started indiscriminate firing which resulted in killing of 13
civilians, including one woman.
July 2, 1992
There was a tyre burst of a moving vehicle, which created a panic in
the crowded marked of Lal Chowk, Srinagar. In response the CRPF
troops, posted at Hari Singh High Street, fired indiscriminately,
killing six civilians.
July 6, 1992
Ishbar locality in the outskirts of Srinagar was subjected to firing
by the BSF men and at least 7 civilians were killed.
July 13, 1992
Army personnel entered the village of Nasrullahpora, adjacent to
Budgam, and started indiscriminate firing, killing ten innocent
people.
August 15, 1992
In Taj Mohalla of Tral, in Pulwama district, BSF troops in cold blood,
killed 6 civilians. One of them was burnt alive.
October 2, 1992
10 civilians were killed in Handwara town of Kupwara district by BSF
troops.
December 12, 1992
Indian troops killed 7 civilians in Kishtwar area of Doda district.
January 6, 1993
94-BSF-Bn personnel ran amuck, killing 57 civilians, mostly roasted
alive, when they arsoned 37 residential and 35 commercial structures
at Sopore in Baramullah district.
April 10, 1993
47 innocent Kashmiris were burnt alive when BSF set afire, most of the
Lal Chowk, Srinagar, destroying 59 houses, 190 shops, 53 go-downs and
2 office complexes.
July 01, 1993
In Baba Reshi, area of Baramullah district, the troops started
indiscriminate firing and killed 9 civilians who had come to the
shrine.
August 1, 1993
Sub-inspector Ajmer Singh of BSF, 60-Bn along with three of his
subordinates, killed a couple Abdul Rashid Dar and Hajra after barging
into their residence in Daribal Srinagar. Their critically injured son
Hilal succumbed to wounds in hospital. After thousands of people took
to the streets in anti-India demonstration, the police and army
resorted to firing, killing 10 of them.
August 14, 1993
Indian secret agents dragged out passengers from a bus on Sarthal link
road in Kishtawar, Doda and sprayed them with bullets, killing 14
civilians.
September 03, 1993
In Rohmoo area of Shopian in Pulwama district, the Indian troops fired
on passers-by, killing five persons.
October 22, 1993
Troops of 7-Bn BSF, opened fire on a procession in Bijbehara town of
Islamabad district, taken out to express solidarity with hostages in
Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar, killing 44 civilians. A number of
devotees were made hostage in the shrine by the troops for more than a
month.
November 20, 1993
At Aadipora, in Sopore area of Baramullah district, the BSF personnel
opened fire and killed five persons including a woman.
November 24, 1993
In Sangrama in Baramullah district, the BSF troops fired
indiscriminately and killed seven unarmed civilians.
December 22, 1993
At Bulbul Nowgam in Shangas area of Islamabad district, the Indian
troops fired indiscriminately, killing six civilians.
January 24, 1994
Indian troops killed 18 Kashmiris in Kupwara.
April 23, 1994
At Warpora Sadunara in Sonawari tehsil of Baramullah district, the
Indian troops, during crack-down, fired at and killed 5 civilians.
May 10, 1994
In Bandipora BSF troops, during crack-down, arrested 9 persons in
presence of the locals, took them to a military camp in Bandipora
where they were killed and their dead bodies were handed over to their
relatives.
February 10, 1995
BSF opened fire in narrow business street, in Gad Kocha, Srinagar,
killed 6 shopkeepers and injured 38 others.
January 5, 1996
Indian armed agents massacred 15 Kashmiris, 10 of them belonging to
one family, in Barshala village in Thathri belt of Kishtwar tehsil in
Doda district.
June 8, 1996
In Kamlari village, in Doda district, Indian armed agents killed eight
civilians.
April 7, 1997
A group of Indian secret agents swooped on Sanghrampora village, in
Beerwa outskirts in Budgam district, and shot dead seven Kashmiris.
September 19, 1997
In mortar shelling by BSF, 11 villagers were killed in remote village
Arin of Bandipore tehsil in Baramullah district.
January 26, 1998
Indian agents swooped Wandhama village of Ganderbal tehsil, in
Srinagar district, and massacred 23 Kashmiris.
June 28, 1998
In the Madwa, Doda 9 villagers were massacred by 26-Rashtriya Rifles,
on the Eid (Muslim festival) day.
February 20, 1999
In Baljaralan hamlet, of Udhampur district, Indian armed agents killed
10 civilians. Apparently, the same group reappeared in Mora Pota in
Budhal belt, and killed 4 members of a family including the couple and
their two sons.
June 29, 1999
Indian troops and their agents dragged out 17 civilians, including 5
women and 7 children, in twin hamlets of Morha Bichai and Sahotri in
Poonch and killed them.
March 17, 2000
Indian secret agencies, killed 7 truck drivers, near a BSF camp at
Qazigund, in Islamabad district.
March 20, 2000
36 Sikhs,2 were massacred by Indian troops at Chattisinghpora, in
Islamabad district, on the eve of US President Clinton's visit to
India. March 24, 2000
Five innocent civilians, missing since March 24, 2000, were killed in
custody and subsequently roasted by army at Brakpora in Islamabad
district.
March 30, 2000
7 protestors were killed by SOG troops near Pathirbal in Islamabad
district, who were demanding dead bodies of Brakpora massacre.
May 14, 2000
Five teen-agers, arrested from Sopore, were killed by Indian troops in
Tangdar area of Kupwara district.
August 1, 2000
35 Amarnath Yatris (pilgrims) were killed by Indian secret agencies
and CRPF troops at Pahalgam in Islamabad district.
November 14, 2000
At Tali Mohalla, near Ikhalha village under the jurisdiction of
Kishtwar police station in Doda district, Indian agents massacred 6
civilians.
February 03, 2001
Indian secret agencies, killed 7 Sikhs at Mahjoornagar, in Srinagar.
February 10, 2001
At Kotchatwal, in Bhudal area of Rajouri district, 12 civilians
including 6 kids and 4 women were killed by Indian troops and their
secret agencies.
March 21, 2001
At Mandi in Poonch district, the Indian troops used helicopters and
gun ships and killed 10 Kashmiris.
March 31, 2001
At Doru, Islamabad, 7 Kashmiri drivers were killed by Indian troops.
August 06, 2001
Indian agents killed 7 civilians in Sajjar village of Atholi, in
Kistwar tehsil of Doda district.
December 08, 2001
10 unarmed civilians, including women and children, were killed in the
indiscriminate military firing in Baramullah.
January 21, 2002
Indian troops killed 14 persons including 8 children of 3 families, at
Salwa village in Maindher area of Poonch area of Rajouri district.
July 13, 2002
Twenty-seven people were killed at Qasim Nagar in the outskirts of
Jammu city by unidentified gunmen.
August 5, 2002
Nine pilgrims were killed in Nuwan Pehalgam in Islamabad district.
March 23, 2003
In a gruesome act of state terrorism in Nadimarg village of Pulwma
District, Indian secret agents killed 24 innocent civilians, including
11 women and two children.
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