Remembering Bijbehara: We can never forget the moment when I had to dig the grave and bury my son myself,”

While the victims of Bijbehara massacre in which 40 people were killed and 160 others injured, are still waiting for the justice after 16 years, the residents of the town say that the fateful day will continue to haunt them as long as they are alive. It was on this day when Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel opened fire indiscriminately on the peaceful protesters who were demanding end of the siege around the holy shrine at Hazratbal Srinagar

Recalling the gory massacre of October 22, 1993, Hamid says, “It was Friday and people offered prayers at historical Jamia Masjid. Afterwards a massive procession of peaceful protesters was taken out. They were demanding end of the siege around the holy shrine at Hazratbal Srinagar. After reaching near highway the BSF personal started firing indiscriminately on the unarmed protesters from three directions killing 40 people on spot and injuring 160.”

“After hearing the news of my second son, Muhammad Altaf Hussian having achieved martyrdom in BSF firing, we all rushed to the spot to bring his body home. On reaching there it seemed difficult to locate the body of my son as hundreds of people, both dead and injured, were lying scattered. It was like fishing out the body from the river of blood and finally we found his bullet ridden body to be carried in a coffin to the graveyard for burial,” said Nazir, adding that it was no less than a dooms day as the entire town was mourning the death of their loved ones.

“We can never forget the moment when I had to dig the grave and bury my son myself,” he added.

Nazir hopes that the blood of tens of thousands of martyrs including his son who sacrificed their lives for the cause of freedom will not go in vain.

“Freedom demands blood and we have given it and will continue to give till we achieve it. I believe that the blood of our martyrs will never go waste,” he said.

Citing the example of Manzoor Ahmad Baddar who lost his life in the massacre, a resident Sameer Ahmad said , ” Manzoor who was not only the sole bread winner for his family but the lone brother of five sisters achieved martyrdom in the massacre. Manzoor’s house since his death continues to be locked. Since all her sisters were married and her ailing mother was left with no option but to live with one of her daughters in her in-laws’ house.”

“We can never forget the scene when the family members of the martyrs were themselves burying the bodies of the dear ones as there was no one to console them or lend them a hand as the entire town had turned into state of mourning”.
Recalling the day, Riyaz Ahmad, who survived the massacre, said that the BSF personal involved in the massacre have not been punished yet.

“Even after being identified by the eyewitnesses of the massacre the troopers involved in the killing of 40 people have not been punished yet,” he added.

Bijbehara Arson: "…Five persons were burnt alive"

REPRISAL KILLINGS

On March 18, 1994, at about 12:45 p.m. an army jeep belonging to the G-2 Rashtriya Rifles unit struck a land mine two kilometers away from the village of Mahand in the district of Bijbehara. The jeep was damaged and two soldiers reportedly injured. According to a report by PUCL, immediately following the mine blast, the soldiers stopped a bus that was travelling on the road toward Mahand, ordered all the passengers to disembark and then beat them. The incident was also investigated by retired Justice Bahauddin Farooqi of the human rights organization the People’s Commission of Enquiry. Later that night the soldiers returned to Mahand, cordoned off the village, and ignited gunpowder in three houses, two of which were vacant. The vacant houses belonged to Abdul Gaffar Bhat and Ghulam Mohiuddin Dar. The third house belonged to Ghulam Qadir Wani and his brother-in-law Abdul Rahman Naiku. Five members of his Family, including three children, died in the explosion and fire. Wani’s wife Azi and niece Jamila died later in the SMHS hospital in Srinagar. Abdul Rahman Naiku was injured in the fire.

Ghulam Qadir Wani told PUCL that on the night of March 18 he was sleeping on the second floor of the house. His wife, Azi, son Abdul Salam, 25, sister-in-law Mrs. Rathi, 35, her two children, Javid Ahmed and Jamila, and two other grandchildren, Shaista and Imtiaza, were sleeping on the ground floor.

“At about 11:00 p.m. I heard voices in my compound. I got alarmed and got up and peeped through a window. I saw some army personnel numbering ten to twelve equipped with arms and knives. Frightened, I returned to bed. At 3:45 a.m. the army personnel, who had disappeared for some time, reappeared. They were shouting insults (“Haramzado Bahar Ajao” — Come out you bastards). I came down but I could not open the door as it was bolted from outside. The moment I went back upstairs, a blast like a thunderbolt occurred. Instant flames surrounded our house, especially the ground floor in which our family members were sleeping. Somehow I managed to jump to the ground from the back of the house. I saw some military personnel running and whistling. It was about 4:30 a.m. I could see some neighbors coming for rescue. They brought some pumps and gradually controlled the fire”

Hari Krishan, 19, a member of the only Hindu family who remained in Mahand after the conflict broke out in 1990 told PUCL:

“Towards the end of the night I heard three successive blasts. I immediately tried to get out of my house to see what had actually happened, but my family did not allow me. After some time I was able to convince my parents that it was our moral duty to share the grief and sorrow of our neighbors who have always rendered their help and cooperation to us. I rushed to the spot and found that two houses have been blasted and one set on fire, roasting the family members inside. I also found the cow shed and a stable on fire wherein three horses were also roasted alive.”

Other witnesses told the People’s Commission of Enquiry that they saw army soldiers running away after the explosions, and calling to each other to get away quickly.

At around noon on March 18, Ghulam Mohiuddin Sheikh was traveling by bus from Mahand to Bijbehara, when the bus was stopped by the army at the village of Satkipora, where the mine blast had taken place. He told PUCL that the soldiers attacked the passengers, beating them with rifle butts and smashing the bus windows. The soldiers threatened the passengers coming from Mahand that they would be “taught a lesson.” He continued:

“On that same night while I was in my house I heard three blasts and got up. I found the house of Ghulam Qadir Wani set on fire”

According to the People’s Commission of Enquiry, the government issued a press statement about the incident on March 19 which stated that an explosive substance was thrown by some unknown militants into the house of Abdul Rahmand Naiku at Mahand, Bijbehara, as a result of which the house-owner Mst. Azi wife of Ghulam Qadir Naiku [sic] and Mst. Hamida [sic] sustained injuries, who were hospitalised. The house also caught fire which engulfed another house in which five persons were burnt alive.

According to PUCL and the People’s Commission of Enquiry, no government or army officials visited the village to investigate the incident.