Prayer meeting held for Chattisinghpora massacre victims

Suhail A Shah

Anantnag, March 21

Members of the Sikh community at Chattisinghpora village of Anantnag today held a day-long prayer meet on the occasion of the 15th death anniversary of those killed at the hands of unidentified gunmen.

At least 35 men of the community were killed on the night of March 20 in 2000.

On the 15th anniversary of the massacre today, family and friends of the victims assembled at a gurdwara in the village and prayed for the peace of the departed souls.

“We prayed so that the departed souls rest in peace and justice be delivered to the ones who were left behind in agonising pain,” said Rajinder Singh, head of the Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. He said lack of efforts from the government “to identify the culprits has made us dejected. The government should take steps towards ensuring justice. This is the least it can do,” he said.

The lone survivor of the massacre, now 60-year-old, Nanak Singh, says the night keeps haunting him and will haunt him till his last breath.

Nanak’s son(16), brother and three cousins were among the slain. “What is more painful is the unwillingness of the successive governments to try and deliver justice,” Nanak said.

President of the All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee Jagmohan Singh Raina said a judicial probe was the only way to deliver justice in the case.

“I have been of the opinion that the massacre, Pathribal fake encounter and Brakpora killings should be treated as one and a judicial probe be held collectively into all the three incidents, which evidence shows are interconnected,” Raina said.