TKSNN: The first massacre in Jammu and Kashmir was carried out and committed by Indian Security Forces on January 21, 1990. On this day Indian Security forces opened fire on a peaceful procession of unarmed civilians of Kashmir at Gawkadal Bridge which in the vicinity of Lal Chowk, the summer capital of Kashmir killed 52 innocent civilians and more than 250 sustained bullet injuries. This massacre is commonly Gawkadal Massacre.
This is most unfortunate and negligence on the part of leadership of Kashmir they failed to highlight the first massacre in right perspective. The two imported factions of Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Shabir Ahmad Shah forgot the very first massacre of the present struggle which started against India in 1989. They even did not bother to issue a statement at the appropriate time statement in this regard. This proves that the First massacre of Kashmir is a non- issue for both of them. Hurriyat (M) has just 15 hours before the time of occurrence, added a line about this incident in APHC’s statement. It seems as if it is not a issue for APHC (M). Shabir Shah of Hurriyat, JK, has also added a line in his usual statement 24 hours before whereas he has issued statement for Hartal of February 11 almost one month earlier and has shown no interest in the first massacre of Kashmir. Both the factions have not issued a full policy statement regarding Gawkadal massacre.
It is the moral responsibility of the leadership of the oppressed nation to highlight these days of history whereby the massacre was carried and committed by occupational forces, put light on the particular massacre and exposes the oppressors’ occupational armies and also those who have masterminded the massacres and genocide in those conflicting zones. The leadership used the democratic and peaceful weapons of Seminars, Strike Calls, Speeches, protests, organizing photo-exhibitions etc.
Since the day of the massacre ( 21 January,1990) to 2012 the entire separatist leadership of Kashmir had not even bothered to give a strike call ( Hartal) on this day in order to highlight this brutal massacre and to pay homage to the martyrs of Gawkadal. It was young Hurriyat leader of Kashmir, Engineer Hilal Ahmad War, Chairman, People’s Political Party (PPP) who observed that the martyrs of Gawkadal and the massacre is not important for the leadership he jumped into fray and broke the stalemate and called for Strike call first time after 21 long years of the massacre in the Civil Lines area of Srinagar, the summer capital of J & K State, on January 21, 2012. Since then has been observing this massacre day every year in order to pay the homage to the martyrs of Gawkadal. Syed Ali Shah Gilani, Chairman of his faction of APHC also used to second the strike call of PPP Chief since 2012. Chairman, Mohammad Yasin Malik used to pay tribute to the Gawkadal Martyrs by offering Fateh Khawani .This year he chose to address the gathering near the massacre spot which is appreciable.