KASHMIR SENTINEL
August 16-September
15, 2000
Terrorists massacre Amarnath yatris KS Correspondent reports
During the last ten years of militancy raging in Kashmir, the number of pilgrims visiting cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi has gone up seven fold. In the case of Amarnath, every year the number of yatris goes on increasing. In early fifties not more than six thousand people visited the holy cave of Lord Amarnath. This year despite disruption, nearly one lakh and eighty thousand people from the different corners of India braved the tough terrain and terrorist threats to accomplish the pilgrimage.Today, in view of the frequent `bans' on the yatra by theKashmiri separatist outfits, the nation looked to success of this yatra as an indicator of national resolve. For the mismanagement of the yatra this year, neither the State government nor the Central government can escape the blame. Symbolic assertions of the nation-state are crucial to the security of the nation. Safe conduct of the yatra cannot be delinked from this. The yatra also provides good economic revenue to the people of the Kashmir valley. Despite warning signals, mismanagement and complacency were seen all
through the yatra. The J&K government's own Tourist departmentwas claiming, at the
beginning of the yatra, that the figure could go past 2-5 lakh mark. Why it did not make
commensurate arrangements? Its job does not end with high-profile ads in national
dailies.Unlike previous years the security job of the yatra was not given to Army but to
J&K Police. Reports even claim that the State government had turned down Union Home
Minister's suggestion that army be deployed on entire route of yatra. This despite the
warning that terrorists planned to attack yatra. Even as early as May 25, the `Pioneer'
had carried a detailed review of the securitythreat to the yatra. It had reported that
there was heavy concentration of foreign mercenaries and Pakistani regulars on the
outflanks of the 48-km long mountainous track of yatra. The daily wrote, "due to the
concentration of the militants in this area, the threat has increased manifold.. The
security agencies anticipate a number of encounters The government had even radio intercepts speaking about possible attacks on soft targets. Yatra was on top of their agenda. On different occasions earlier as well, militants had made determined moves to disrupt it. There was every apprehension that in view of Pak bid to sabotage the `ceasefire', yatra was obviously a softtarget. Inspite of this, Army this year was not deployed in sufficient strength, nor the security beefed up. Only two days earlier on July 30, a Tata Sumo vehicle carrying tourists to Gulmarg was attacked by a 13 years old boy hired by militants. Why did it not still alert the security forces or the State government.
The slain militant, suspected by the police to be a Kashmiri, carried an identity card of Abid Hussain Malik, reading in Aligarh Muslim University and resident of Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh. An AK-47 rifle was recovered from him.
The same report in `Excelsior' says, "It was literally amacabre dance. Two youngsters-sporting beard, wearing olive green jackets and brandishing AK-47 rifles-emerged out of the jungle at around 1845 hours on Tuesday evening and began the massacre of pilgrims from a wooden culvert, called Manzim Bridge. The stream beneath, often seen in Bollywood movies of Rajesh Khanna, Asha Parekh period, was in spate. They spreayed bullets in all directions, stormed into a Meerut Langar, and finally took position on a metalled road on the left bank of nullah Aru. After leaving a total of 30 dead and over 60 others wounded, the assailants tossed seven grenades on the beautiful hutment of Hari Singh, the commanding officer of CRPF 61 Bn." Another report said that as the militants reached the bridge, they opened indiscriminate fire, hitting a woman in the leg. Then they ran towards the CRPF picket, firing indiscriminately at yatris and shopkeepers. In this torrential rain of bullets that lasted for about 25 minutes, thirteen yatris and shopkeepers were killed on the spot. The next destination of militants was the adjoining Meerut Bhandar, where 900 yatris from Meerut were camping. Two grenades were tossed at a tent, killing one yatri and injuring four others. As militants approached the camp, a BSF constable opened fire and scared them away. Militants were running and firing towards the camp on both sides of the road. A man, hit by a bullet on the bridge fell down into the Lidder stream flowing below. The grenades tossed at the CRPF bullet damaged a car by standing there.
Meanwhile CO was contacted at his office but he failed to reach the spot due to heavy
gunfire at his home. Sentry SC Choudhary engaged the militants and in the fierce encounter
that followed, he felled down one, who had hid behind a car and a massive rock. The other
militant, 100 yards away on the Aru road was gunned by a BSF soldier. "Calm prevailed
but only after the duo danced whilecrying that they had accomplished their mission". Eyewitnesses said that prompt response by paramilitary personnel killed two militants, while another escaped in a Maruti van. He was also wearing police uniform. Another version claimed two militants were held captive by the Army. As the bullets rained all around, people scrambled under the parked vehicles or took shelter under the trees along the Lidder bank. CRPF personnel were seen advising yatris to remain calm. Many others managed to escape in the waiting vehicles. A large number of vehicles, including cars and buses, also showed marks of the indiscriminate firing. While many glass panes stood broken, tyres were punctured due to the impact of bullets. The bodies of the pilgrims and other civilians were removed by security forces men and pilgrims during the night itself while the "unclaimed bodies" of the militants were kept at the police station. The survivors with nightmarish experiences recalled the good job done by Srinagar doctors and Army, BSF and CRPF. They were bitter against JKP and said the state police looked the other way when militants struck. The Hindu, quoted a pilgrim as saying, "after the massacre, their personnel prevented us from helping the injured and taking them to hospital. Instead of helping the victims, they kept saying, "Ifyou come for the yatra, you'll meet this fate". A senior officerof CRPF claimed that militants had hurled five grenades, used 19 magazines and fired 570 rounds of AK fire and 57 live bullets were recovered from the slain terrorists. Meanwhile, a three-member committee headed by Corps Commander of the Srinagar-based 15 corps, JR Mukherjee has been appointed to probe the Pahalgam killings. The other members of the committee include Messers C Phunsung, Home Secretary and GA Peer, Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag. |