Sopur Massacre On January 6, 1993

Sopur, Jan 5: It has been 15 years since that fateful day in 1993, but the wounds of one of the worst massacres in Kashmir’s already bloody history are still afresh. On January 6, 1993, 55 innocents were killed by the paramilitary BSF troopers, in cold blood, in this north Kashmir town more famous for red apples than red streets. This is one of the few massacres that have been mentioned in TIME magazine. The news report appeared on Jan 18, 1993 in TIME magazine under the headline, Blood tide rising: Indian forces carry out one of the worst massacres in Kashmir’s history . The magazine described the massacre as: “ Perhaps there is a special corner in hell reserved for troopers who fire their weapons indiscriminately into a crowd of unarmed civilians. That, at least, must have been the hope of every resident who defied an army- enforced curfew in the Kashmiri town of Sopur to protest a massacre that left 55 people dead and scores injured.” “ It was India’s latest blow in a three- year campaign to crush the predominantly Muslim state’s bid for independence. In retaliation for the killing of one soldier, paramilitary forces rampaged through Sopur’s market setting buildings ablaze and shooting bystanders. The Indian government pronounced the event unfortunate and claimed that an ammunition dump had been hit by gunfire, setting off fires that killed most of the victims,” the TIME magazine reported. It was the chilly winter morning of January 6, 1993 when militants attacked the BSF troopers at Baba Yousuf Lane near the Sopur town’s main street, killing a trooper. The militants also took away a rifle of the slain trooper. After the attack and suffering casualties, the troopers cordoned off the whole area restricting the movement of public. Within moments, they opened indiscriminate fire on unarmed civilians and set on fire markets, mainly Iqbal Market, and Women’s Degree College. The local residents regard the incident as one of the worst massacres in the history of Kashmir. “ I cannot forget that horrendous incident till I am alive; the troops were on rampage; I lost two relatives in the incident,” said Ali Muhammad, an eyewitness and survivor of the carnage. “ I wonder can doomsday be worse,” he added. The mayhem continued for more than two hours with people— helpless and hopeless— watching the devastation from a distance. None from the civil administration or Fire Service Department came to the rescue of the hapless people. Only the valor and heroism of the local populace made its appearance, helping each other. In one hour, the locals recovered the bodies of more than 50 civilians and miraculously rescued many more. “ Some fifteen civilians who tired to rescue their brethren were also shot dead by the troopers”, said Abdul Majid, a survivor. Ghulam Nabi Bhat of New Light Hotel shouldered 11 bodies and before he could carry the 12th, he too was shot dead. In the reconstructed Iqbal Market it is hard to find the traces of the carnage the troopers carried out on January 6, 1993, killing at least 55 persons, most of them roasted alive in shops, buses, and houses. The troopers set about 100 houses and 300 shops on fire after dousing them with gunpowder, the local residents recall. For three days people rummaged the debris for bodies. The insurance companies refused to give any compensation to the victims.