Chittisinghpura massacre: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|Fatal shooting of 35 Sikhs in India}}
{{short description|Fatal shooting of 35 Sikhs in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox civilian attack
{{Infobox civilian attack
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| fatalities = 35
| fatalities = 35
| injuries  =  
| injuries  =  
| perps      = Undetermined
| perps      = Undetermined<ref>{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.com/city/amritsar/21-yrs-after-chittisinghpura-killings-kin-of-slain-sikhs-look-for-answers/articleshow/81609165.cms|title=21 years after Chittisinghpura killings, kin of slain Sikhs look for answers|work=[[The Times of India]] |date=21 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/190316/kashmiri-sikhs-demand-re-investigation-into-massacre-of-35-men-at-chattisinghpora.html|title=Kashmiri Sikhs demand re-investigation into Chattisinghpora massacre|work=Deccan Chronicle|date=19 March 2016}}</ref>
}}
}}


The '''Chittisinghpura massacre''' refers to the [[mass murder]] of 35 villagers of the [[Sikhism|Sikh]] faith that was carried out on 20 March 2000 in the Chittisinghpora (Chittisinghpura) village of [[Anantnag district]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[India]] on the eve of the US president [[Bill Clinton]]'s state visit to India.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/684632.stm|title=Kashmir killings overshadow Clinton visit|last=|first=|date=21 March 2000|website=BBC News|access-date=2020-03-04}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/massacre-of-36-sikhs-overshadows-clintons-tour-282443.html|title=Massacre of 36 Sikhs overshadows Clinton's tour|date=2000-03-22|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=2020-03-04}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/other/article30253665.ece|title=The massacre at Chattisinghpora|last=Swami|first=Praveen|date=1 April 2000|website=Frontline|language=en|access-date=2020-03-04}}</ref>
The '''Chittisinghpura massacre''' refers to the [[mass murder]] of 35 villagers of the [[Sikhism|Sikh]] faith that was carried out on 20 March 2000 in the Chittisinghpora (Chittisinghpura) village of [[Anantnag district]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[India]] on the eve of President [[Bill Clinton]]'s state visit to India.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/684632.stm|title=Kashmir killings overshadow Clinton visit|last=|first=|date=21 March 2000|website=BBC News|access-date=4 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Popham|first=Peter|date=22 March 2000|title=Massacre of 36 Sikhs overshadows Clinton's tour|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/massacre-of-36-sikhs-overshadows-clintons-tour-282443.html|url-status=live|access-date=4 March 2020|website=The Independent}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/other/article30253665.ece|title=The massacre at Chattisinghpora|last=Swami|first=Praveen|date=1 April 2000|website=Frontline|access-date=4 March 2020}}</ref>


The identity of the perpetrators remains unknown. The Indian government asserts that the massacre was conducted by Pakistan-based [[militant Islam|militant]] group [[Lashkar-e-Taiba]] (LeT).<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/mar/22/india.kashmir Killing of Sikhs clouds Clinton visit to India], [[The Guardian]], 200-03-22</ref> Other accounts accuse the [[Indian Army]] of the massacre.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://kashmirlife.net/the-lone-survivor-nanak-singh-2237/|title=The lone survivor: Nanak Singh|date=2012-03-26|website=Kashmir Life|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-10-29}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/names-of-killers-still-reverberate-in-my-ears-19-years-after-chittisinghpora-massacre-lone-survivor-recounts-night-that-killed-35-sikhs-6299441.html|title='Names of killers still reverberate in my ears': 19 years after Chittisinghpora massacre, lone survivor recounts night that killed 35 Sikhs|website=Firstpost|access-date=2019-10-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/banyan/2010/08/24/rift-in-the-valley|title=Rift in the valley|date=2010-08-24|work=The Economist|access-date=2019-10-29|issn=0013-0613}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://countercurrents.org/2018/03/india-owes-answers-for-the-killings-of-36-sikhs-and-14-others-in-kashmir|title=India Owes Answers For The Killings Of 36 Sikhs And 14 Others In Kashmir|date=2018-03-19|website=Countercurrents|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-20}}</ref>
The identity of the perpetrators remains unknown. The Indian government asserts that the massacre was conducted by Pakistan-based [[militant Islam|militant]] group [[Lashkar-e-Taiba]] (LeT).<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Harding|first=Luke|date=22 March 2000|title=Killing of Sikhs clouds Clinton visit to India|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/mar/22/india.kashmir|url-status=live|access-date=20 October 2021|website=The Guardian|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130824054708/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/mar/22/india.kashmir |archive-date=24 August 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=25 October 2010|title=Lashkar behind Sikh massacre in Kashmir in 2000, says Headley|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/lashkar-behind-sikh-massacre-in-kashmir-in-2000-says-headley/story-U1HSRGfXRKqZyzgeQoy1OI.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110114013820/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Lashkar-behind-Sikh-massacre-in-Kashmir-in-2000-says-Headley/Article1-617459.aspx|archive-date=14 January 2011|access-date=20 March 2020|website=[[Hindustan Times]]}}</ref> Other accounts accuse the [[Indian Army]] of the massacre.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Bhat|first=Saima|date=26 March 2012|title=The lone survivor: Nanak Singh|url=https://kashmirlife.net/the-lone-survivor-nanak-singh-2237/|url-status=live|access-date=29 October 2019|website=Kashmir Life|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324235427/http://www.kashmirlife.net:80/the-lone-survivor-nanak-singh-2237/ |archive-date=24 March 2017}}</ref><ref name=":Bhat">{{Cite web|last=Bhat|first=Aamir Ali|date=21 March 2019|title='Names of killers still reverberate in my ears': 19 years after Chittisinghpora massacre, lone survivor recounts night that killed 35 Sikhs|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/names-of-killers-still-reverberate-in-my-ears-19-years-after-chittisinghpora-massacre-lone-survivor-recounts-night-that-killed-35-sikhs-6299441.html|url-status=dead|access-date=29 October 2019|website=Firstpost|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321032519/https://www.firstpost.com/india/names-of-killers-still-reverberate-in-my-ears-19-years-after-chittisinghpora-massacre-lone-survivor-recounts-night-that-killed-35-sikhs-6299441.html |archive-date=21 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=24 August 2010|title=Rift in the valley|work=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/banyan/2010/08/24/rift-in-the-valley|url-access=subscription|access-date=29 October 2019|issn=0013-0613}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Singh|first=Gurpreet|date=19 March 2018|title=India Owes Answers For The Killings Of 36 Sikhs And 14 Others In Kashmir|url=https://countercurrents.org/2018/03/india-owes-answers-for-the-killings-of-36-sikhs-and-14-others-in-kashmir|url-status=live|access-date=20 March 2020|website=Countercurrents|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701152436/https://countercurrents.org/2018/03/india-owes-answers-for-the-killings-of-36-sikhs-and-14-others-in-kashmir |archive-date=1 July 2019}}</ref>


==Killings==
==Killings==
{{Human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir}}
{{Human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir}}
Wearing Indian Army [[Combat uniform|fatigues]], the killers arrived into the village in military vehicles in two groups at separate ends of the village where the two [[Gurdwara|gurdwaras]] were located, while the villagers had been celebrating the [[Hola Mahalla]] festival.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bhat|first=Aamir Ali|date=2018-03-20|title=Chittisinghpora Massacre: When shadowy gunners in army fatigues widowed 30 Sikh women {{!}} Free Press Kashmir|url=https://freepresskashmir.news/2018/03/20/chittisinghpora-massacre-when-shadowy-gunners-in-army-fatigues-widowed-30-sikh-women/|access-date=2020-08-27|language=en-GB}}</ref> They ordered them to line up in front of the gurdwaras and opened fire, killing thirty-five people.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/names-of-killers-still-reverberate-in-my-ears-19-years-after-chittisinghpora-massacre-lone-survivor-recounts-night-that-killed-35-sikhs-6299441.html|title='Names of killers still reverberate in my ears': 19 years after Chittisinghpora massacre, lone survivor recounts night that killed 35 Sikhs|website=Firstpost|access-date=2019-10-29}}</ref>
Wearing Indian Army [[Combat uniform|fatigues]], the killers arrived into the village in military vehicles in two groups at separate ends of the village where the two [[Gurdwara|gurdwaras]] were located, while the villagers had been celebrating the [[Hola Mahalla]] festival.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bhat|first=Aamir Ali|date=20 March 2018|title=Chittisinghpora Massacre: When shadowy gunners in army fatigues widowed 30 Sikh women|url=https://freepresskashmir.news/2018/03/20/chittisinghpora-massacre-when-shadowy-gunners-in-army-fatigues-widowed-30-sikh-women/|url-status=live|access-date=27 August 2020|website=Free Press Kashmir}}</ref> They ordered them to line up in front of the gurdwaras and opened fire, killing thirty-five people.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/names-of-killers-still-reverberate-in-my-ears-19-years-after-chittisinghpora-massacre-lone-survivor-recounts-night-that-killed-35-sikhs-6299441.html|title='Names of killers still reverberate in my ears': 19 years after Chittisinghpora massacre, lone survivor recounts night that killed 35 Sikhs|website=Firstpost|access-date=29 October 2019}}</ref>


The massacre was a turning point in the [[Kashmir conflict|Kashmir issue]], where Sikhs had usually been spared from militant violence.<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0DEED6113AF932A15750C0A9669C8B63&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/People/C/Clinton,%20Bill 34 Massacred In Sikh Town In Kashmir], [[The New York Times]], 2000-03-21</ref> Following the killing, [[Sayeed Salahudeen|Syeed Salahudeen]], Pakistan-based leader of the largest Kashmiri militant group [[Hizbul Mujahideen|Hizbul-Mujahideen]], denounced the massacre, accusing India of it, and assured the Kashmiri Sikh community of the militants' support.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2000-03-22|title=Killing of Sikhs clouds Clinton visit to India|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/mar/22/india.kashmir|access-date=2021-05-11|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref>
=== Aftermath ===
The massacre was a turning point in the [[Kashmir conflict|Kashmir issue]], where Sikhs had usually been spared from militant violence.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Dugger|first=Celia W.|date=21 March 2000|title=34 Massacred In Sikh Town In Kashmir|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/03/21/world/34-massacred-in-sikh-town-in-kashmir.html|url-access=subscription|access-date=20 October 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>


After the massacre hundreds of Kashmiri Sikhs gathered in [[Jammu]] shouting anti Pakistan and anti Muslim slogans, criticising the Indian government for failing to protect the villagers, and demanding retaliation.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/2000/0403/india.singhpora.html Slaughter in Singhpora], [[TIME]], 2000-04-03</ref><ref name="Independent20000323">{{cite web|last=|first=|date=23 March 2000|title=Man arrested in connection with Sikh massacre|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/man-arrested-in-connection-with-sikh-massacre-282450.html|work=[[The Independent]]|accessdate=27 October 2010}}</ref>
Shortly after the massacre, hundreds of Kashmiri Sikhs gathered in [[Jammu]], shouting anti Pakistan and anti Muslim slogans, criticising the Indian government for failing to protect the villagers, and demanding retaliation.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Jameel|first=Yusuf|date=3 April 2000|title=Slaughter in Singhpora: A Village Becomes Kashmir's Latest Victim|work=[[Time Asia]]|url=http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/2000/0403/india.singhpora.html|access-date=20 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010127162800/http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/2000/0403/india.singhpora.html|archive-date=27 January 2001}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=16 August 2013|others=AP|title=Man arrested in connection with Sikh massacre|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/man-arrested-in-connection-with-sikh-massacre-282450.html|url-status=live|access-date=20 October 2021|website=The Independent|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029065324/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/man-arrested-in-connection-with-sikh-massacre-282450.html |archive-date=29 October 2019}}</ref>


==Perpetrators==
Following the killing, [[Sayeed Salahudeen|Syeed Salahudeen]], Pakistan-based leader of the largest Kashmiri militant group [[Hizbul Mujahideen|Hizbul-Mujahideen]], denounced the massacre, accusing India of it, and assured the Kashmiri Sikh community of the militants' support.<ref name=":3" />
Survivors interviewed by journalists insisted that the perpetrators had looked and spoken "like people from South India" and had shouted pro-India slogans after the massacre.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />


Five days after the killing, the [[Indian Army]] stopped and killed five people near [[Anantnag]], claiming they were Pakistani perpetrators of the massacre. However, reports surfaced that they were all local villagers. After a public outcry, the government ordered genetic identification of the victims in order to show that they were not related to local families, however the tissue samples sent to a genetic lab in Hyderabad turned out fake.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CNN.com - Kashmir DNA cover-up claims rejected - March 7, 2002|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/03/06/india.kashmir/|access-date=2021-05-11|website=edition.cnn.com}}</ref> A subsequent public inquiry revealed that the victims of the Indian Army killings were all random bystanders with no relation with the massacre.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CNN.com - 'Innocent civilians killed' in Kashmir cover-up - July 16, 2002|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/07/16/kashmir.incident/index.html|access-date=2019-10-29|website=edition.cnn.com}}</ref> According to Lt-General (Retd.) KS Gill, "army officers up to the rank of a captain were involved in the 'fake encounter'. They kept visiting Chhatisinghpura for routine 'checkups'. After obtaining full information about the Sikh, they lined them up and shot them dead one day."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.globalvillagespace.com/chhattisgarh-massacre-will-the-sikh-ever-see-justice/ |title=Chhattisgarh massacre : will the Sikh ever see justice? |last=Jaaved |first=Amjed |date=25 March 2021 |website=www.globalvillagespace.com |publisher=Global Village Space |access-date=29 June 2021 |quote=According to Lt-General (Retd.) KS Gill, army officers up to the rank of a captain were involved in the “fake encounter”. They kept visiting Chhatisinghpura for routine “checkups”. After obtaining full information about the Sikh, they lined them up and shot them dead one day.}}</ref>
=== Anantnag killings ===
Five days after the killings, [[Indian Army]] troops stopped and killed five people in the village of Pathribal near [[Anantnag]], claiming they were Pakistani perpetrators of the massacre. Soon, however, reports surfaced that they were all local villagers. After a public outcry, the government ordered genetic identification of the victims in order to show that they were not related to local families. However, the tissue samples sent by the government to a genetic laboratory in [[Hyderabad]] turned out fake.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 March 2002 |title=Kashmir DNA cover-up claims rejected |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/03/06/india.kashmir/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512084712/http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/03/06/india.kashmir/ |archive-date=12 May 2021 |access-date=11 May 2021 |website=CNN}}</ref> A subsequent public inquiry revealed that the victims of the Indian Army killings were all random people with no relation with the Chittisinghpura massacre.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 July 2002 |title='Innocent civilians killed' in Kashmir cover-up |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/07/16/kashmir.incident/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160720062820/http://edition.cnn.com:80/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/07/16/kashmir.incident/index.html |archive-date=20 July 2016 |access-date=29 October 2019 |website=CNN}}</ref>


In 2000, Indian authorities announced that Mohammad Suhail Malik, a nephew of Lashkar-e-Taiba co-founder [[Hafiz Muhammad Saeed]], confessed while in Indian custody to participating in the attacks at the direction of Lashkar-e-Taiba. He repeated the claim in an interview with [[Barry Bearak]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' while still in Indian custody, although Bearak questioned the authenticity of the confession.<ref name="Bearak">{{citation|last=Bearak|first=Barry|title=A Kashmiri Mystery|date=2000-12-31|url=https://www.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20001231mag-kashmir.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|quote=The conversation was mostly in Urdu, once again a language I did not speak. I could study his eyes but not his phrasing or inflections, the little clues as to what was being held back in the privacy of his head. When we left, I asked Surinder Oberoi, my journalist friend, if he thought Malik was telling the truth.<br/>'Yes, I think so,' he answered after a pause. Then he added a cautionary shrug and a sentence that stopped after the words 'But you know. . . . '<br/>Malik showed no signs of physical abuse, but, as with Wagay, the torture of someone in his situation would not be unusual. Once, over a casual lunch, an Indian intelligence official told me that Malik had been 'intensively interrogated.' I asked him what that usually meant. 'You start with beatings, and from there it can go almost anywhere,' he said. Certainly, I knew what most Pakistanis would say of the confession -- that the teenager would admit to anything after persistent electrical prodding by the Indians. And it left me to surmise that if his interrogators had made productive use of pain, was it to get him to reveal the truth or to repeat their lies?|accessdate=2009-11-04}}</ref> In 2011, a Delhi court cleared Malik of the charges.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121106033915/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-10/india/29871318_1_pakistani-nationals-massacre-sikhs Sikhs' massacre in Chattisinghpora: Two Pakistanis acquitted]. "[[The Times of India]]," 10 August 2011.</ref>
==Perpetrators==
Survivors interviewed by journalists insisted that the perpetrators had looked and spoken "like people from South India" and had shouted pro-India slogans after the massacre.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> According to Lt-General KS Gill, "[Indian] army officers up to the rank of a captain were involved in the 'fake encounter'. They kept visiting Chhatisinghpura for routine 'checkups'. After obtaining full information about the Sikh, they lined them up and shot them dead one day."<ref>{{cite web |last=Jaaved |first=Amjed |date=25 March 2021 |title=Chhattisgarh massacre : will the Sikh ever see justice? |url=http://www.globalvillagespace.com/chhattisgarh-massacre-will-the-sikh-ever-see-justice/ |access-date=29 June 2021 |website=www.globalvillagespace.com |publisher=Global Village Space |quote=According to Lt-General (Retd.) KS Gill, army officers up to the rank of a captain were involved in the “fake encounter”. They kept visiting Chhatisinghpura for routine “checkups”. After obtaining full information about the Sikh, they lined them up and shot them dead one day.}}</ref>


In an introduction to a book written by [[Madeleine Albright]] titled ''The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs (2006)'', [[Hillary Clinton]] accused "Hindu Militants" of perpetrating the act.<ref name="Times">[http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA2LzA1LzE5I0FyMDE0MDE=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom Clinton goofs up on J&K killings],''Times of India''</ref> This created a major incident, with both Hindu and Sikh groups expressing outrage. Clinton's office did not return calls seeking comment or clarification. The publishers, [[Harper Collins]], later acknowledged "a failure in the fact-checking process" but did not offer a retraction.<ref name="Times" />
In 2000, Indian authorities announced that Mohammad Suhail Malik, a nephew of Lashkar-e-Taiba co-founder [[Hafiz Muhammad Saeed]], confessed while in Indian custody to participating in the attacks at the direction of Lashkar-e-Taiba. He repeated the claim in an interview with [[Barry Bearak]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' while still in Indian custody, although Bearak questioned the authenticity of the confession.<ref name="Bearak">{{citation|last=Bearak|first=Barry|title=A Kashmiri Mystery|date=31 December 2000|url=https://www.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20001231mag-kashmir.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times Magazine]]|quote=The conversation was mostly in Urdu, once again a language I did not speak. I could study his eyes but not his phrasing or inflections, the little clues as to what was being held back in the privacy of his head. When we left, I asked Surinder Oberoi, my journalist friend, if he thought Malik was telling the truth.<br/>'Yes, I think so,' he answered after a pause. Then he added a cautionary shrug and a sentence that stopped after the words 'But you know.&nbsp;... '<br/>Malik showed no signs of physical abuse, but, as with Wagay, the torture of someone in his situation would not be unusual. Once, over a casual lunch, an Indian intelligence official told me that Malik had been 'intensively interrogated.' I asked him what that usually meant. 'You start with beatings, and from there it can go almost anywhere,' he said. Certainly, I knew what most Pakistanis would say of the confession -- that the teenager would admit to anything after persistent electrical prodding by the Indians. And it left me to surmise that if his interrogators had made productive use of pain, was it to get him to reveal the truth or to repeat their lies?|accessdate=4 November 2009}}</ref> In 2011, a Delhi court cleared Malik of the charges.<ref>{{Cite news|date=10 August 2011|title=Sikhs' massacre in Chattisinghpora: Two Pakistanis acquitted|work=The Times of India|agency=PTI|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-10/india/29871318_1_pakistani-nationals-massacre-sikhs|access-date=20 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106033915/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-10/india/29871318_1_pakistani-nationals-massacre-sikhs|archive-date=6 November 2012}}</ref>


In 2010, the Lashkar-e-Taiba associate [[David Headley]], who was arrested in connection with the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]], reportedly told the [[National Investigation Agency]] that the LeT carried out the Chittisinghpura massacre.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2010-10-25|title=Lashkar behind Sikh massacre in Kashmir in 2000, says Headley|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/lashkar-behind-sikh-massacre-in-kashmir-in-2000-says-headley/story-U1HSRGfXRKqZyzgeQoy1OI.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110114013820/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Lashkar-behind-Sikh-massacre-in-Kashmir-in-2000-says-Headley/Article1-617459.aspx|archive-date=2011-01-14|access-date=2020-03-20|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref> He is said to have identified an LeT militant named Muzzamil as part of the group which carried out the killings apparently to create communal tension just before Clinton's visit.<ref>[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20101026/j&k.htm#2 Chittisinghpura Massacre: Obama’s proposed visit makes survivors recall tragedy ]. The Tribune, Chandigarh. 25 October 2010.</ref>
In an introduction to a book written by [[Madeleine Albright]] titled ''The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs'' (2006), [[Hillary Clinton]] accused "Hindu Militants" of perpetrating the act.<ref name="Times">[http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA2LzA1LzE5I0FyMDE0MDE=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom "Clinton goofs up on J&K killings"], ''The Times of India''.</ref> This created a major incident, with both Hindu and Sikh groups expressing outrage. Clinton's office did not return calls seeking comment or clarification. The publishers, [[HarperCollins]], later acknowledged "a failure in the fact-checking process" but did not offer a retraction.<ref name="Times" />


In 2005, Sikh organizations such as the Bhai Kanahiya Jee Nishkam Seva Society demanded a deeper state inquiry into the details of the massacre<ref name="Tribune">[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20051112/j&k.htm#3 Sikhs want CBI probe into Chittisinghpura Massacre], ''tribuneindia.com''</ref> and for the inquiry to be made public. The state government ordered an inquiry into the massacre.
In 2010, the Lashkar-e-Taiba associate [[David Headley]], who was arrested in connection with the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]], reportedly told the [[National Investigation Agency]] that the LeT carried out the Chittisinghpura massacre.<ref name=hindustantimes>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=25 October 2010|title=Lashkar behind Sikh massacre in Kashmir in 2000, says Headley|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/lashkar-behind-sikh-massacre-in-kashmir-in-2000-says-headley/story-U1HSRGfXRKqZyzgeQoy1OI.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110114013820/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Lashkar-behind-Sikh-massacre-in-Kashmir-in-2000-says-Headley/Article1-617459.aspx|archive-date=14 January 2011|access-date=20 March 2020|website=Hindustan Times}}</ref> He is said to have identified an LeT militant named Muzzamil as part of the group which carried out the killings apparently to create communal tension just before Clinton's visit.<ref>Jupinderjit Singh (25 October 2010). [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20101026/j&k.htm#2 Chittisinghpura Massacre: Obama’s proposed visit makes survivors recall tragedy ]. ''The Tribune, Chandigarh''. Accessed on 20 October 2021.</ref>


==In popular culture==
In 2005, Sikh organizations headed by the Bhai Kanahiya Jee Nishkam Seva Society demanded a deeper state inquiry into the details of the massacre<ref name="Tribune">[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20051112/j&k.htm#3 Sikhs want CBI probe into Chittisinghpura Massacre], ''Tribune India''. 11 November 2005. Accessed on 20 October 2021.</ref> and for the inquiry to be made public. The state government ordered an inquiry into the massacre.
The massacre was depicted in a [[Bollywood]] film [[Adharm (2006 film)|''Adharm'']] ("Unholy") directed by [[Adeep Singh]].


==References==
==References==
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*[[2002 Qasim Nagar massacre]]
*[[2002 Qasim Nagar massacre]]
*[[1998 Wandhama massacre]]
*[[1998 Wandhama massacre]]
*[[Lashkar-e-Toiba]]


{{Sikhism}}
{{Sikhism}}
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[[Category:History of Sikhism]]
[[Category:History of Sikhism]]
[[Category:Religiously motivated violence in India]]
[[Category:Religiously motivated violence in India]]
[[Category:Terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Massacres in Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Massacres in Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Massacres of Sikhs]]
[[Category:Massacres of Sikhs]]
[[Category:March 2000 events in Asia]]
[[Category:March 2000 events in India]]
[[Category:Massacres of men]]
[[Category:Massacres of men]]
[[Category:Violence against men in Asia]]
[[Category:Violence against men in Asia]]

Revision as of 05:29, 25 December 2022


Chittisinghpura massacre
LocationChittisinghpora, Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Date20 March 2000
TargetSikhs
Attack type
Mass murder
Deaths35
PerpetratorsUndetermined[1][2]

The Chittisinghpura massacre refers to the mass murder of 35 villagers of the Sikh faith that was carried out on 20 March 2000 in the Chittisinghpora (Chittisinghpura) village of Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir, India on the eve of President Bill Clinton's state visit to India.[3][4][5]

The identity of the perpetrators remains unknown. The Indian government asserts that the massacre was conducted by Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).[6][7] Other accounts accuse the Indian Army of the massacre.[8][9][10][11]

Killings

Template:Human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir Wearing Indian Army fatigues, the killers arrived into the village in military vehicles in two groups at separate ends of the village where the two gurdwaras were located, while the villagers had been celebrating the Hola Mahalla festival.[12] They ordered them to line up in front of the gurdwaras and opened fire, killing thirty-five people.[13]

Aftermath

The massacre was a turning point in the Kashmir issue, where Sikhs had usually been spared from militant violence.[14]

Shortly after the massacre, hundreds of Kashmiri Sikhs gathered in Jammu, shouting anti Pakistan and anti Muslim slogans, criticising the Indian government for failing to protect the villagers, and demanding retaliation.[15][16]

Following the killing, Syeed Salahudeen, Pakistan-based leader of the largest Kashmiri militant group Hizbul-Mujahideen, denounced the massacre, accusing India of it, and assured the Kashmiri Sikh community of the militants' support.[6]

Anantnag killings

Five days after the killings, Indian Army troops stopped and killed five people in the village of Pathribal near Anantnag, claiming they were Pakistani perpetrators of the massacre. Soon, however, reports surfaced that they were all local villagers. After a public outcry, the government ordered genetic identification of the victims in order to show that they were not related to local families. However, the tissue samples sent by the government to a genetic laboratory in Hyderabad turned out fake.[17] A subsequent public inquiry revealed that the victims of the Indian Army killings were all random people with no relation with the Chittisinghpura massacre.[18]

Perpetrators

Survivors interviewed by journalists insisted that the perpetrators had looked and spoken "like people from South India" and had shouted pro-India slogans after the massacre.[8][11] According to Lt-General KS Gill, "[Indian] army officers up to the rank of a captain were involved in the 'fake encounter'. They kept visiting Chhatisinghpura for routine 'checkups'. After obtaining full information about the Sikh, they lined them up and shot them dead one day."[19]

In 2000, Indian authorities announced that Mohammad Suhail Malik, a nephew of Lashkar-e-Taiba co-founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, confessed while in Indian custody to participating in the attacks at the direction of Lashkar-e-Taiba. He repeated the claim in an interview with Barry Bearak of The New York Times while still in Indian custody, although Bearak questioned the authenticity of the confession.[20] In 2011, a Delhi court cleared Malik of the charges.[21]

In an introduction to a book written by Madeleine Albright titled The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs (2006), Hillary Clinton accused "Hindu Militants" of perpetrating the act.[22] This created a major incident, with both Hindu and Sikh groups expressing outrage. Clinton's office did not return calls seeking comment or clarification. The publishers, HarperCollins, later acknowledged "a failure in the fact-checking process" but did not offer a retraction.[22]

In 2010, the Lashkar-e-Taiba associate David Headley, who was arrested in connection with the 2008 Mumbai attacks, reportedly told the National Investigation Agency that the LeT carried out the Chittisinghpura massacre.[23] He is said to have identified an LeT militant named Muzzamil as part of the group which carried out the killings apparently to create communal tension just before Clinton's visit.[24]

In 2005, Sikh organizations headed by the Bhai Kanahiya Jee Nishkam Seva Society demanded a deeper state inquiry into the details of the massacre[25] and for the inquiry to be made public. The state government ordered an inquiry into the massacre.

References

  1. "21 years after Chittisinghpura killings, kin of slain Sikhs look for answers". The Times of India. 21 March 2021.
  2. "Kashmiri Sikhs demand re-investigation into Chattisinghpora massacre". Deccan Chronicle. 19 March 2016.
  3. "Kashmir killings overshadow Clinton visit". BBC News. 21 March 2000. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  4. Popham, Peter (22 March 2000). "Massacre of 36 Sikhs overshadows Clinton's tour". The Independent. Retrieved 4 March 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. Swami, Praveen (1 April 2000). "The massacre at Chattisinghpora". Frontline. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Harding, Luke (22 March 2000). "Killing of Sikhs clouds Clinton visit to India". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  7. "Lashkar behind Sikh massacre in Kashmir in 2000, says Headley". Hindustan Times. 25 October 2010. Archived from the original on 14 January 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Bhat, Saima (26 March 2012). "The lone survivor: Nanak Singh". Kashmir Life. Archived from the original on 24 March 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  9. Bhat, Aamir Ali (21 March 2019). "'Names of killers still reverberate in my ears': 19 years after Chittisinghpora massacre, lone survivor recounts night that killed 35 Sikhs". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  10. "Rift in the valley". The Economist. 24 August 2010. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  11. 11.0 11.1 Singh, Gurpreet (19 March 2018). "India Owes Answers For The Killings Of 36 Sikhs And 14 Others In Kashmir". Countercurrents. Archived from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  12. Bhat, Aamir Ali (20 March 2018). "Chittisinghpora Massacre: When shadowy gunners in army fatigues widowed 30 Sikh women". Free Press Kashmir. Retrieved 27 August 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. "'Names of killers still reverberate in my ears': 19 years after Chittisinghpora massacre, lone survivor recounts night that killed 35 Sikhs". Firstpost. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  14. Dugger, Celia W. (21 March 2000). "34 Massacred In Sikh Town In Kashmir". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  15. Jameel, Yusuf (3 April 2000). "Slaughter in Singhpora: A Village Becomes Kashmir's Latest Victim". Time Asia. Archived from the original on 27 January 2001. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  16. "Man arrested in connection with Sikh massacre". The Independent. AP. 16 August 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  17. "Kashmir DNA cover-up claims rejected". CNN. 7 March 2002. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  18. "'Innocent civilians killed' in Kashmir cover-up". CNN. 16 July 2002. Archived from the original on 20 July 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  19. Jaaved, Amjed (25 March 2021). "Chhattisgarh massacre : will the Sikh ever see justice?". www.globalvillagespace.com. Global Village Space. Retrieved 29 June 2021. According to Lt-General (Retd.) KS Gill, army officers up to the rank of a captain were involved in the "fake encounter". They kept visiting Chhatisinghpura for routine "checkups". After obtaining full information about the Sikh, they lined them up and shot them dead one day.
  20. Bearak, Barry (31 December 2000), "A Kashmiri Mystery", The New York Times Magazine, retrieved 4 November 2009, The conversation was mostly in Urdu, once again a language I did not speak. I could study his eyes but not his phrasing or inflections, the little clues as to what was being held back in the privacy of his head. When we left, I asked Surinder Oberoi, my journalist friend, if he thought Malik was telling the truth.
    'Yes, I think so,' he answered after a pause. Then he added a cautionary shrug and a sentence that stopped after the words 'But you know. ... '
    Malik showed no signs of physical abuse, but, as with Wagay, the torture of someone in his situation would not be unusual. Once, over a casual lunch, an Indian intelligence official told me that Malik had been 'intensively interrogated.' I asked him what that usually meant. 'You start with beatings, and from there it can go almost anywhere,' he said. Certainly, I knew what most Pakistanis would say of the confession -- that the teenager would admit to anything after persistent electrical prodding by the Indians. And it left me to surmise that if his interrogators had made productive use of pain, was it to get him to reveal the truth or to repeat their lies?
  21. "Sikhs' massacre in Chattisinghpora: Two Pakistanis acquitted". The Times of India. PTI. 10 August 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  22. 22.0 22.1 "Clinton goofs up on J&K killings", The Times of India.
  23. "Lashkar behind Sikh massacre in Kashmir in 2000, says Headley". Hindustan Times. 25 October 2010. Archived from the original on 14 January 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  24. Jupinderjit Singh (25 October 2010). Chittisinghpura Massacre: Obama’s proposed visit makes survivors recall tragedy . The Tribune, Chandigarh. Accessed on 20 October 2021.
  25. Sikhs want CBI probe into Chittisinghpura Massacre, Tribune India. 11 November 2005. Accessed on 20 October 2021.

See also