The incident was a beginning of a deadly war between the Indian forces and civilians in southern part of Disputed Kashmir
SHOPIAN; (Indian Occupied Kashmir) : Twenty six years ago, this day got an importance in the history of Disputed Kashmir particularly in my native town where first massacre of innocents occurred, by the hands of Indian occupational forces. The day when people of Shopian town realized the nefarious designs of Indian politicians to rule on Kashmir through military might. The day was an official announcement of war with people. The day when people began to think of the armed struggle against the tyrants, oppressors and foreigners (Indian politicians).
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In the afternoon of December 15, 1989, a number of young man were playing cricket in a field later named as Shaheed Park and now-a-days a Car parking lot, adjacent to Jammu and Kashmir Police Station in the heart of Shopian town, which have remained an important centre of pro-azadi activities. For next many years the town remained the hub of militancy and currently a bastion of veteran pro-azadi leader Syed Geelani. On that day, a Friday, many Muslims were in mosques at memorial services for martyrs who had been killed by the Indian occupational forces in Srinagar. At about 2:30 PM, between five and 10 CRPF police entered the Jammu and Kashmir police station next to the field, and without warning began to fire at the young men playing cricket, killing three.
The CRPF troopers were accompanied by Sub divisional Magistrate of Shopian Gupta. As soon as the CRPF troopers entered inside the police station, they pointed their rifles towards the young men and started indiscriminate firing. Four persons including 20 years-old Rafiq Ahmad Sabu, 17 years-old Nazir Ahmad Gundroo, 17 years-old Ghulam Jalani Jahangir and 16 years-old Basharat Ahmad fell prey to the bullets of armed occupational troopers. Rafiq was shot at abdomen and survived while Nazir and Ghulam were shot in the chest and died on spot. Basharat Ahmed came to help Nazir and was shot in the jaw; the bullet exited the back of his head and later he succumbed to his injuries at Sub-District Hospital Shopian. Jahangir and Basharat were both secondary school students.
The firing lasted less than five minutes. Two hours after the shooting, the deputy commissioner and the superintendent of police imposed a 24-curfew on entire Shopian town, which remained in force for five continous days. The Indian occupational forces remained in the town and did not allow any burials for two days. When the burials were finally permitted, CRPF and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel searched the coffins for weapons and ammunition.
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With the killing of these three innocent youth, the Indian message was clear that they are in a war against the entire populace. The killings were an alarm for the people to get ready to face the bullets of Indian forces for decades to come. These killings though the debut of civilian innocent murders at this place of the world but the intentions of the occupational government was clear that they are not going to leave Kashmir in a peaceful manner. The violence will be met with violent methods. Months later, India raised the infamous governor Jagmohan as the governor cum dictator of Kashmir – who butchered Muslims at every nook and corner of the disputed territory.
Decades passed but the modus operandi hasn’t changed. The recent such kind of barbaric innocent killings in this town took place on Sep 7, 2013. Four civilians including a non-local labourer were murdered by Indian forces outside another garrison in the main town of Shopian and the war between the truth and oppression goes on.
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