KL Report
SRINAGAR
Civil lines area of the Srinagar city is Wednesday observing a shutdown to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Gawkadal massacre.
Shutdown call was given by almost all the separatist parties.
More than fifty unarmed civilians were massacred by government forces on January 21, 1990 at Gawkadal area in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
The bloodshed took place when thousands of people started marching towards Qarfali Mohalla in down town where forces had allegedly molested dozens of women during the intervening night of 20 and 21 January 1990.
As the protesters reached Gawkadal, a large number of men in uniform opened firing on them resulting in the killing of more than fifty people. More than hundred were injured in the incident.
Gawkadal massacre spread a wave of terror among the valleyites and the Pandits started fleeing the Valley. Gawkadal incident is known as the first such kind of massacre after the outbreak of militancy in the conflict ridden Jammu and Kashmir which was followed by countless massacres, killings, custodial disappearances, kidnappings, rapes and all other sorts of human rights violations.
