SUHAIL RATHER
Ajas (Bandipora) 01 Feb: To mark the 27th Death Anniversary Of 05 Civilians killed allegedly by Border Security Force (BSF) on 1st February 1992, a complete shutdown was observed in Ajas Area of Bandipora District here on Friday.
On February 01, 1992 Indian paramilitary troops of BSF opened fire on civilians killing 5 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,” .
All shops and other business establishments remained closed in the whole area while as very thin traffic ply on roads to remember the killings of five civilians by Border Security Force (BSF) during a crackdown.
Five civilians who were killed on that day were Abdul Rasheed Ganie – a driver by profession, Muhammad Maqbool Rather, Abdul Rahim Rather, Mohd Sultan Lone, and Wali Rehman Khan.
Locals said that Wali Rehman Khan was tortured to death and his body was taken away in a vehicle by the BSF men. "His body was never handed over to his family. It has been 28 years since the gruesome incident took place but justice still eludes the victim families, " they said.
