Kashmiri Pandits gather at Nadimarg to honour victims of 2003 LeT terror attack

On Sunday, a group of Kashmiri Pandits gathered to pay tribute to their brethren who were killed by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists at Nadimarg village of Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district in 2003. The event saw a large number of children accompanying the men and women, with the aim of acquainting the younger generation with the community’s roots and history.

While the Kashmiri Pandit community has been paying tributes to the 24 victims in Jammu annually, this year marked the first time the community held the tribute ceremony at the scene of the massacre at Nadimarg.

On the night of March 22-23, 2003, LeT terrorists, dressed in combat uniforms, cordoned off Nadimarg village. They lined up the men in the open and executed them in cold blood. The massacre left a permanent scar on the village.

Bhushan Lal Bhat, a native of the village who had migrated to Jammu, shared the sentiment behind this year’s decision to hold the tribute at Nadimarg.

“We have been doing it in Jammu every year but it was decided that this year we shall do it at Nadimarg.” Bhat said.