23 March 2003: When 24 KPs were killed in Nadimarg

KL Report

SRINAGAR

On this day in 2003, 24 Kashmiri Pandit civilians were killed in a massacre at Nadimarg, Shopian, out of which 12 were females.

A case was registered under FIR no. 24/2003 in the Zainapora Police Station. Unlike other cases the investigation was completed within three months and on 9 June 2003 the case was challaned in the Shopian court. According to police investigations Ab. Rafi, Abu Waseem, Abu Bilal and Zeya Mustafa were named as the assailants. Presently only Zeya Mustafa, a Pakistani national is facing the trial at Shopian Court, with the next date of hearing being 4 April 2015.

In a statement to KNS spokesperson of Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society said, “Most of the massacres against minorities started taking place after 1996, when State forces had consolidated the counter insurgency mechanisms by the creation of Ikhwan – pro-government militia (1994), Special Task Force (1994), which later became Special Operations Group, Village Defence Committees (1995). The creation of these groups led to a deep militarized polarization and accelerated the new efforts of the Indian State’s dirty war in Jammu and Kashmir. A feature of violent incidents of this phase was the obfuscation of truth and culpability. Examples of such dirty war operations include the disappearance and murder of 5 foreign tourists in Pahalgam in 1995, which later was revealed as a secret operation of Indian agencies.”

“Nadimarg massacre is one of many massacres – such as Chattisinghpora – where minorities were attacked, the State indicted Pakistani and local militants, but the truth behind the massacres never came out. In Chattisinghpora the two Pakistani nationals were acquitted. In Nadimarg it appears only 1 person faces trial and according to court records there is not enough evidence against the accused, which may lead to another acquittal,” he said.

“All these massacres must be viewed in comprehensive political context and other considerations must not allow for the truth about the perpetrators and their motivations to remain hidden,” he added.

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