Bhat pays tribute to martyrs of Chota Bazar Massacre

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ISLAMABAD:

Senior leader of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and Chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Salvation Movement (JKSM) Altaf Ahmed Bhat has paid "glowing tributes" to the martyrs of the Chota Bazar Massacre and Shaheed Tufail Ahmad Mattoo, reaffirming that the sacrifices rendered by the people of Jammu and Kashmir for freedom, justice, and dignity will never be forgotten.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Bhat said June 11 remains a "painful reminder of the immense human cost borne by the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)".

He recalled that on this day in 1991, Indian occupation forces opened indiscriminate fire in the Chota Bazar area of Srinagar, martyring 32 innocent civilians, including women and children. More than three decades later, the families of the victims continue to wait for justice, while those responsible for the massacre remain unaccountable.

"The Chota Bazar Massacre was not merely an isolated incident; it was part of a systematic campaign of repression aimed at silencing the legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people," Bhat said. "The blood of innocent civilians spilled on that day remains a stain on the conscience of the international community."

Paying tribute to Shaheed Tufail Ahmad Mattoo, Bhat stated that the 17-year-old student became a symbol of Kashmir's suffering and resilience when he was killed on June 11, 2010, after being struck by a tear-gas shell fired by Indian forces near Saida Kadal, Srinagar. His killing ignited widespread protests across the occupied territory, during which more than 120 civilians lost their lives at the hands of Indian forces.

"Tufail Mattoo was not carrying a weapon; he was carrying dreams for his future," Bhat said. "His tragic death exposed the reality of state violence in occupied Kashmir and awakened the conscience of millions across the world."

The JKSM chairman said from Chota Bazar to Hawal, Gawkadal, Bijbehara, Handwara and countless other tragedies, Kashmir's recent history is marked by massacres, custodial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and collective punishment. He noted that despite overwhelming evidence of grave human rights abuses, justice continues to be denied to victims and their families.

Bhat reminded the international community that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in its 2018 and 2019 reports, called for an independent Commission of Inquiry into serious and systematic human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. However, these recommendations remain unimplemented, allowing a culture of impunity to persist.

He said under the BJP-led government, repression in IIOJK has intensified through arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, confiscation of properties, restrictions on civil liberties, and the targeting of political, religious, and educational institutions.