International Day of Happiness loses meaning for Kashmiris as perpetrators continue to evade justice

As the world is observing International Day of Happiness, today, something strange to people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, who even on the same day witnessed a brutal massacre of Sikh brothers by Indian army and its agencies in Chattisinghpora area of Islamabad district, twenty three years ago.

According to Kahsmir Media Service, thirty-five members of Sikh community were massacred by the troops in disguise in Chattisinghpora on March 20, 2000 on the eve of the then US President, Bill Clinton’s visit to India. What is more agonizing part of the massacre is that the perpetrators have not been accorded punishment and delay in justice has led to growing resentment among the Sikh community.

The Chattisingpora massacre, as it transpired in the ensuing years, was meant to give a bad name to Kashmiris’ freedom struggle and it was an attempt to equate Kashmiris’ struggle for self-determination to terrorism.

IIOJK has witnessed many brutal massacres committed by Indian troops in the territory with an aim to shift the blame on freedom fighters to malign the freedom movement, both at home and abroad.

It is important to mention here that Indian troops had orchestrated the Chattisinghpora carnage and later killed five persons and burnt their bodies in Pathribal area of the district on March 25. It was claimed that the slain people were involved in the Sikh massacre. However, the investigations proved that the victims were local civilians, who were picked up by the Indian Army from different areas and were killed in a fake encounter.

Today, the world is observing International Day of Happiness while the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir continue to face pain and injustice under military siege woven around them with the presence of around one million Indian forces’ personnel.