2001 Chalwalkote massacre

2001 Chalwalkote massacre was the killing of 15 Muslim villagers in the village of Chalwalkote ( also called Kot Charwal by some sources) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir by alleged militants on 9 February 2001.^[1][2]

Background

Kashmir's Hindus, known as Kashmiri Pandits, have been an integral part of Kashmir since well before the time Islam swept through the region about 700 years ago. They speak the same language as Muslims, eat the same foods, farm the same fields, and for much of Kashmir's history the two peoples generally co-existed peacefully. In 1990, the bulk of 250,000 Kashmiri Pandits left Kashmir after being selectively targeted by the militants. Most are packed in refugee camps in Jammu. Most of the massacres by militants had targeted Hindus. The residents of the village had formed an all Muslim "Village Defence Committee" (VDC) after one local resident was executed by militants belonging to Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. The militants suspected the villagers to be informants for Indian Army.

The attack

The miltants came at night and initially asked the villagers to hand over the female members of the village for satisfying their sexual urges. When the villagers resisted this they were attacked.^[3] The terrorists came then bolted the house of Abdullah Remo and Bashir Abdullah. Then they lobbed a grenade inside before setting the house on fire.^[4] Of the fifteen charred bodies which were recovered seven were of children the youngest one being only four years old.^[5]

Aftermath

Chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah condemned the killings.^[3]

References