27th Jan 1994: When 27 civilians were massacred for not observing Republic Day

Srinagar, Jan 27 (KNB): The history of Kashmir is full of gory incidents among them is 27th January 1994 when army in the frontier district of Kupwara mercilessly butchered 27 civilians for observing a bandh on 26th January and not celebrating it as Republic day.

According to the eye witnesses, at least 27 innocent people were killed when the Army’s Punjab and Garhwal regiment opened indiscriminate fire near main market in the district.

A patrolling party of the army had already warned the shopkeepers of dire consequences if they didn’t celebrate Republic day and on 24TH January there was a verbal brawl between army and police over some issue and army threatened the police as well, next day on 25th January the Army called out some worshippers from Jamia Masjid Kupwara and thrashed them including the imam of the Masjid.

And on 26th without any provocation army started firing which lasted for more than an hour and people started running for lives. Many victims were targeted from close ranges and a number of bullets were pierced in their bodies.

After the gruesome massacre, the army men asked the survivors to assemble in the ground and undergo the identification parade and lot of men were taken into custody and interrogated for days together inflicting wounds on their physical and mental well being.

A young boy of Awoora Kupwara died in the lap of his father as the troops didn’t allow his father to take him to hospital and kept ignoring his pleas.

Among 27 people killed, mostly were traders, some were government employees and two police men. Some people were injured badly and they remained handicapped for life. Even the vehicles carrying the injured were stopped by army and some were not allowed to move to hospitals.

An FIR (first information report) 19/1994 under section 302, 307 was filed in this connection but like the other massacres in Kashmir and like other investigations, the investigation was never dome in the right way. The families of the victims like the families of the victims of other massacres await justice. (KNB)