Jan 6, ‘93 when 57 people were massacred in Sopur

Ghulam Muhammad

(from greaterkashmir.com)

Sopur, Jan 5: Massacre of 57 unarmed civilians in Sopur town 14 years back is one of the few massacres that got a few columns of space in prestigious TIME magazine. The magazine described the massacre, and the protests that ensued thus:

“Perhaps there is a special corner in hell reserved for troopers who fire their weapons indiscriminately into a crowd of unarmed civilians. That, at least, must have been the hope of every resident who defied an army-enforced curfew in the Kashmiri town of Sopur to protest a massacre that left 55 people dead and scores injured.”

“It was India’s latest blow in a three-year campaign to crush the predominantly Muslim state’s bid for independence. In retaliation for the killing of one soldier, paramilitary forces rampaged through Sopur’s market setting buildings ablaze and shooting bystanders. The Indian government pronounced the event “unfortunate” and claimed that an ammunition dump had been hit by gunfire, setting off fires that killed most of the victims.”

The magazine had titled the news report (on January 18, 1993) “Blood tide rising: Indian forces carry out one of the worst massacres in Kashmir’s history.”

In the reconstructed Iqbal Market it is hard to find the traces of the carnage the Border Security Force troopers carried out on January 6, 1993, killing 57 persons, most of them roasted alive in shops, buses, and houses. The troopers set about 100 houses and 300 shops on fire after dousing them with gunpowder, the local residents recall.

It was the chilly morning of January 6, 1993 when militants attacked the troopers of BSF at Baba Younis Lane near the Sopur town’s main street, killing two of them. The militants also took away the rifles of the slain troopers. The troopers went berserk and opened indiscriminate fire on unarmed civilians and set on fire markets, mainly Iqbal Market, and Women’s Degree College.

The local residents regard the incident as one of the worst massacres in the history of Kashmir.

“I cannot forget that horrendous incident till I am alive; the troops were on rampage; I lost two relatives in the incident,” said Ali Muhammad, an eyewitness and survivor of the carnage. “I wonder can doomsday be worse,” he says.

The mayhem continued for more than 2 hours with people—helpless and hopeless—watching the devastation from a distance. None from the civil administration or Fire Service Department came to the rescue of the hapless people. Only the valor and heroism of the local populace made its appearance, helping each other. In one hour, the locals recovered the dead bodies of more than 50 civilians and miraculously rescued many more.

Some fifteen civilians who tired to rescue their brethren were also shot dead by the troopers, said Abdul Majid, a survivor. Ghulam Nabi Bhat of New Light Hotel shouldered 11 dead bodies and before he could carry the 12th, he too was shot dead.

For three days people rummaged the debris for dead bodies. Strong protests rocked the town for many days continuously. Many charities came up but soon vanished. The insurance companies refused to give any compensation to the victims. The victims knocked the doors of government offices but to no avail.

“The massacre would haunt us as long as we are alive,” said Muhammad Abbas of Sopur.

Names of few slain:

• Abdul Majid Sofi, 35, s/o Muhammad Shafi r/o Krankshiwan
• Abdur Rashid War s/o Ghulam Muhammad War r/o Tujarsherief, Sopur
• Abdul. Khaliq Malik s/o Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din r/o Arampora
• Abdul Ahad Kanjwal r/o Muslimpeer
• Abdul Ahad Shalla r/o Shallapora
• Abdur Rashid Sofi s/o Abdul Jabbar r/o Wanagam, Bandipora
• Abdul Ahad Liloo,70, r/o Bba Yousu, Sopur
• Abdur Razaq Chalkoo s/o Ghulam Muhammad
• Bashir Ahmad Shalla s/o Ghulam Rasool r/o Shallapora, Sopur
• Farooq Ahmad Banday s/o Abdur Rashid r/o Sangrampora, Sopur
• Ghulam Nabi Zargar alias Shaheen s/o Qadir Joo r/o Badamibagh Sopur
• Ghulam Muhammad War s/o Muhammad Sultan r/o Tujarshrief
• Ghulam Nabi Bhat s/o Haji Abdullah r/o Sangrampora
• Gulzar Ahmad Sheikh s/o Muhammad Abdullah r/o Shahabad Sopur
• Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din s/o Assadullah r/o Nathpora, Bandipora
• Ghulam Rasool Sofi s/o Muhammad. Sultan r/o Langate
• Ghulam Muhammad Khan r/o Bandipora and
• Ghulam Muhammad Hajam s/o Abdul Gaffar r/o Mohallah Hajampora, Sopur.

Copyright and courtesy of Greater Kashmir. com [link]
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