| KASHMIR SENTINEL
August 16-September
15, 2000
Terrorists turn to Ind in Gool KS Correspondent UDHAMPUR, Aug 20: Nine massacres in three weeks and the third one since August 15 is in itself an indicator of how safe are the Hindu minorities even in Jammu province. Cold-blooded leaders, enjoying the Z-category security cannot be expected to be sensitive to the day-to-day hell the nationalistic groups are passing through in J&K.Today it was the turn of Ind people. This village, near Sangaldan in Gool sub-division, bore four casualties at the hands of terrorists. The modus operandi chosen was similar to the one in Kot Dhara killings. Fifteen heavily armed militants attacked the village at 2130 hours last night. Five of the terrorists barged into the house of Mir Chand and opened indiscriminate firing. Nasibu and his elder brother Maniya had come to their cousin, Mir Chand’s house, to discuss the problems being faced by the villagers. They all died on the spot. Also killed in the firing were sons of Sabba Bargi and Madan Lal, son of Suram Chand. The injured have been identified as Mir Chand’s wife Krishna Devi and Punjab Singh. Firing lasted for 20 minutes. India Reserve Police (IRP) picket at Ind is at a distance of 200 metres from the place, where the killings took place. Local people held a massive demonstration at the arrival of police and civil administration. They blamed IRP IVth Bn camp at Ind for the killings. The people disputed the official claim that militants attacked the police picket and alleged IRP men did not come to their rescue despite the intense firing that was going on. Similar complaints had been made by the people of Kot Dhara against personnel manning the CRPF picket. Villagers of Ind also alleged that the daughters of Tirath Ram and Vijay Ram were raped by militants at Dheda village, near Ind. The people demanded setting up of an army picket in Ind village and said, otherwise they would shift to safer areas. Some families of the village Ind had already left and took shelter at Sangaldan. Gool has been witnessing organised terror and nearly 160 families from Chhaba, Seripur, Malkote, Dainda, Damdass, Dadam, Dablore, Thatra etc have migrated to Ramban and Sangaldan. The dreaded terrorist Billo Gujjar, involved in over 100 killings, including Prankote massacre and three Kashmiri Pandits lecturers was ruling the roost, with the connivance of some local politicians. On the intervening night of August 14 and 15, the Lashkar-e-Toiba militants had killed three people at Kot Dhara village. The same village was again attacked two days later leading to the massacre of eight people. Recurring massacres have demoralised the people still holding on. |