18 Years Later, The Qasim Nagar Massacre Of Hindu Laborers By Islamic Terrorists Remains Forgotten
- In Politics
- 10:24 AM, Jul 15, 2020
- Deepika Sharma
13th July 2002:
Some dates are etched in our memories forever. 13th July 2002 is one such date while India witnessed two parallel historic events. One of these happenings being a victorious moment is remembered by us even today while the memory of other where we lost another battle and innocent lives to Islamic terrorism has perished with time.
For Indian cricket fans this day marked the most iconic moment in Indian cricket's history, the Natwest final of 2002, where the Indian team under the captaincy of Sourav Ganguly chased down a target of 326 runs and stood victorious against the inspired England.
The celebrations that followed this historical victory of Indian cricket team still remain in the hearts of Indian fans, as captain Ganguly waved his shirt in the famous Lord's balcony and then went onto the field to charge down and hug Mohammad Kaif who was the Man/Player of the Match.
While the victory in this match was the announcement of the arrival of a new fearless Indian team and Indians were elated, Qasim Nagar a small town located at the outskirts of Jammu was gripped by fear and agony after the Islamic terrorists massacred 29 poor Hindu laborers who had gathered together and were listening to live radio broadcast of this very match.
Though we remember this match every year, the blot left on this day on our history by Islamic terrorists is overlooked by us as if it never happened.
On 13 July 2002, around 8 pm, some eight suspected pro-Pakistan militants walked into the Qasim Nagar slum on the outskirts of Jammu. The Hindu laborers had gathered around a radio to listen to cricket commentary broadcast of Indian-England cricket match live from Lord's Cricket Ground because there was power cut at that time.
The militants were disguised as Hindu saints.
It is an important detail to note how the Islamic terrorists have been posing as Hindus to massacre Hindus on several occasions and how their sympathizers have always tried to use this as a base to create and propagate the false and baseless idea of Hindu Terrorism. Muslim assailants of Kamlesh Tiwari who came disguised as Hindu-men or Ajmal Kasab who despite being a Jihadi tied Kalava the sacred- Hindu-thread who if had not been caught alive would have been projected as a Hindu Terrorist too are a few recent examples.
The Islamic Militants started throwing grenades on the small gathering and then open fired with automatic weapons (AK-47s)
Within a few minutes about 24 Hindus were dead. Three more died later in hospital and at least 30 were injured, which means the death toll must have risen given the criticality of the attack but hardly anyone bothered to update the news later.
Most of those killed by the Islamic terrorists were very poor laborers who lived in makeshift sheds fabricated from discarded apple crates. The dead included two blind beggars, 13 women and one child.
The gunmen escaped into the thickly wooded hills nearby.
On 15 July, a complete bandh was observed on the call of BJP leaders in Jammu in protest against the incident.
(BJP activists demonstrate against the Qasim Nagar massacre, during the bandh called by them in Jammu on Monday. — PTI photo)
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, United States, Britain, and France condemned the attack.
The Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police said that "Pakistan-based militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba" is responsible for the attack. Subsequently, Indian Police arrested Mohammad Abdullah alias Abu Talah of Lashkar-e-Taiba who was between 18-20 years of age in connection with this massacre.
Seven more militants belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba were arrested later. The key persons arrested were Master Kabir, Altaf Hussain Shah, Maroof Khan, SPP Shabir Ahmed, Munir Hussain and his son Sarfraz, and Mehmood Ahmed. They had confessed to killing 31 other people. It was however reported in J&K news that one of the terrorist Abu Talah had escaped the police lock up. The link of the report is given below:
(http://www.jammu-kashmir.com/archives/archives2003/kashmir20030211b.html )
It has to be seen that Islamic Terrorism is one of the most brutal forces against Humanity. It works in various ways in the society not always manifesting as an outright terror attack but through a slow and steady process of filling the radicalized mind with hatred and apathy for the "other".
The main terrorist involved in this attack was between the age group of 18-20 years still, his hands did not shiver before shooting at the poor, blind, the women and the child. Such hatred and resolve to carry out violence is shocking. There are multiple examples to understand how fundamentalism is not something exclusively linked to Islamic terrorist outfits but it is supposed to be practiced by every Muslim.
It is because of this religious intolerance that the Islamic terrorists do not flinch once before taking lives of the poor laborers and visually impaired beggars who couldn't even manage to see what's coming for them and make one last attempt however, useless in that situation to save their lives.
The elite class who talks about human rights for terrorists and acts like an apologist of Islamic terrorists and has been naturally evoked by those very terrorists and militants who burn and massacre Hindus in the valley. They have always tried to whitewash the Islamic terrorism and ignore the brutalities suffered by Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir.
In this massacre women, children and the poorest of the poor were massacred yet we don't see any Islamist- Leftist torchbearer of human rights of fighting against Islamic Terrorism which took the lives of these poor people. Their apathy has made me aware of the fact that they are blind and deaf to the miseries of victims of Islamic imperialism and terrorism, they stay mum because they have reserved victimhood for the Islamic militants and terrorists who unleash hell and havoc and perpetrate fear and dance of death.
But I expect that the common Indian while she remembers the and celebrates one of the everlasting images of Indian cricket, then India captain Sourav Ganguly's shirtless tirade from the balcony of the hallowed Lord's dressing room on July 13, 2002, when India lifted the NatWest Trophy will take out a moment from their time to remember this massacre and pray to Almighty God to bless Human kind and free it from the shackles of terrorism.
We also need to understand and accept that a terrorist is not born, it is made through a process of radicalization and this radicalization is supported, whitewashed and propagated by the radicals who sit amongst ourselves and pretend to be non-violent. An extremist is an extremist.
Let's, stand against all such seemingly non-violent extremists and terrorists who are a part of the larger and horrible picture of Islamic terrorism and raise our voices to ensure that not a single perpetrator escapes the eyes of law and victims are granted justice.
Header Pic - (An unidentified girl crying at the funeral of a relative killed in the terrorist attack) all pics provided by the author. No copyright infringement intended
References:
http://www.jammu-kashmir.com/archives/archives2003/kashmir20030211b.html
http://crimescenedb.com/the-2002-qasim-nagar-massacre/
https://m.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020716/main4.htm
https://thecricketlounge.com/2020/03/kaif-modi-coronavirus/
Comments