27 years on, victims cry for justice
Waheed Bhat
Bandipora:-The residents of Ajas village of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district today observed the 27th anniversary if the killing of six civilians killed by Border Security Forces in the village in 1992.
On February01, Indian paramilitary troops of BSF opened fire on civilians killing 6 of them while injuring dozens others. Recalling the fateful day, the locals say the memories still hunt them.
It was Mehraj-e-Alam day, (Birthday of Prophet Mohammad), the troops of BSF came and announced crackdown in the area using the Public Address System of the local mosques. Locals said it was cold and people were offering special prayers in Mosques since previous night. They said the elders of the village requested locals not to lay siege in the village owing to the Mehraj-u-Alam. However BSF refused and asked people to assemble in a local ground and abused the elders.
They said the people resisted and refused to assemble according to their dictate and instead carried out a peaceful protest march foiling their attempt. “Our refusal to accept their dictate infuriated the BSF officers who first left the village and then returned with more forces and fired indiscriminately.
“They started beating and dragged us to the lawns of Jamia masjid as it was planned to kill us,“ recounts an eyewitness amid tears.
“After that an officer came to the lawns opened his pistol and fired from point blank range killing six persons and ordered his men to fire indiscriminately in which more than dozens got injured,” he added.
He said after the incident, BSF took one Governemnt Employee- Wali Rehman Khan with them and later killed him under custody and even denied his body.
Meanwhile President, International Forum for Justice and Human Rights, Mohammad Ahsan Untoo along with Hurriyat leader Mohammad Shabir Dar visited Ajas and offered Fateh at the graveyard where the deceased are buried.
On the occasion Untoo said justice has been denied to families even after 27 years and even an FIR has not been lodged against the culprits.
Later people marched from Jamia Masjid to Martyrs grave yard and hel prayer meet at the grave yard. Holding placards, the protestors chanted Anti-India and Pro-Freedom slogans.
A complete shutdown was also observed in Ajas and adjoining areas to mourn the killings of civilians by BSF Men. Business establishments, were closed and vehicular traffic was seen off the roads effecting normal life in the area.