Along with Tufail Mattoo’s murder, on every June 11, Kashmir also shudders remembering the bloodshed caused by the security forces in the Chotta Bazar Massacre of 1991, which marks three decades today.
The limited sources available around this massacre say that around six CRPF men came to Chotta Bazar in the Downtown area of Srinagar from their camp at the Government Medical College, Karan Nagar, and started firing indiscriminately at the civilians.
It is believed that these CRPF men were furious about the militant attack the same day at around 2:30 pm noon, almost half a kilometer away, on a CRPF bunker at Gada Kocha Zainakadal. The attack left a few CRPF personnel injured.
And in the fury, the CRPF opened fire at the innocent civilians after a few hours of the militant attack. The official figures state 18 deaths, while the locals say at least 28 people were killed and several civilians were left injured.
An eyewitness says that around 6 pm in the evening, while everyone was busy in their regular chores, the CRPF troops arrived and opened fire at the two watchmen posted at the Government Medical College gate, killing them both.
The eyewitness narrated the whole ordeal, how the CRPF men then entered and fired at the people inside a shop, opposite the GMC. A doctor of the SMHS hospital’s Ophthalmology Department became the next victim. He was killed while he showed his identity card to the CRPF men.
Then these men stopped all the passing by vehicles near the National School, 3 drivers, 1 conductor and several other passengers including a 75-year-old lady from Chotta Bazar locality and a 14-year-old teenager from Nawab Bazar were pulled out and murdered.
Then they moved towards a nearby mechanic workshop. The CRPF men entered the shop, shot dead the chief mechanic Rashid Mistri and one of his assistants.
“They behaved like beasts. I was in my shop when a CRPF officer entered in and fired at me. However, the gun got jammed and the officer ordered his men to sprinkle the gun powder on me,” a former shopkeeper of the area recounts. He remained bedridden for over two years after the horrific incident.
“The authorities ordered a probe and Justice Mufti Jalaluddin headed an inquiry commission into the incident. Late Advocate Jaleel Andrabi pursued the case vigorously for some years. However, after his killing by the Indian army and the transfer of Mufti Jalalludin, the case went into oblivion,” a senior police offer had said.
A criminal case remains registered against the CRPF under section 302 at Karan Nagar police station, piled in the old records. Yet again, no justice for the innocent lives lost thirty years later.
The Kashmiriyat through various sources collected the names of a few victims of the massacre
Syed Masoor, a resident of Chota Bazar.
Imtiyaz Ahmad of Nehwi s/o Abdul Khaliq, Shah Mohalla Nawa bazar.
Anees Latif (14) s/o Latif Ahmad, Nalband Pora Chattbal, Srinagar.
Nazir A Shah (26) s/o Gh Rasool, Kak Saraie in Srinagar.
Abdul Rashid Khan (35) s/o Gh Qadir Khan, Buchpora.
Mustaq Butt (20) s/o Abdullah, Narparestan Fateh Kadal.
Mohammed Shafi Ahangar (24), Karanagar.
Majid Marza Upkar (75) was killed in Transport, wife of Ghulam Hassan Khan, along with her son, Ghulam Mohammed,
Sayed Ahmad son of Nisar Ahmad buried at Eid Gah Srinagar.