Sopore Massacre | Survivors Recount the Horrors of 6 January, 1993

Basharat Amin, Community Correspondent reports from Sopore, Jammu and Kashmir for Kashmir Unheard. The Indian Army is also accused of many massacres. Some of them include - Gawkadal massacre, Handwara massacre, Khanyar massacre, Bijbehara massacre, Sopore massacre, Zakura and Tengpora massacre, Hawal massacre, Kupwara massacre etc. The Sopore Massacre refers to the killing of more than 40 Kashmiri civilians by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF). On January 6, 1993, at least 43 persons were killed, and a one-and-a-half kilometer-long block in central Sopore burned to the ground in the largest reprisal attack by the security forces in the history of the conflict. The incident marked a watershed, forcing state and central government forces to acknowledge for the first time that the BSF forces responsible had retaliated against the town's civilian population after two of their forces were injured and subsequently died in a militant attack. Witnesses reported seeing BSF soldiers pour gasoline on to rags, set them alight and toss them on to houses and shops. The BSF also prevented firefighters from putting out the blaze. In addition to the 43 persons who died as a result of gunshot injuries or burns, 14 persons were injured, and 8 persons remain missing. The fire destroyed or seriously damaged 37 residential buildings, 234 shops, 61 storehouses, and a cinema. The family which suffered the highest number of casualties was the Shalla family of Shalpora. Four of its men were killed. Video Volunteers Community Correspondents come from marginalised communities in India and produce videos on unreported stories. They give the hyperlocal context to global human rights and development challenges. Take action for a more just global media by sharing their videos and joining in their call for change. Video Volunteers is a community media organisation which has directly impacted the lives of more than 4 million people in India by initiating and sustaining a community media movement - empowering people by amplifying their voices. Watch and read more ’news by those who live it’ at www.videovolunteers.org Connect with us! Facebook: www.facebook.com/VideoVolunteers/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/videovolunteers Instagram:   / videovolunt.  . Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.videovolunteers.org/newsl... YouTube Channel:    / videovolunteers   वीडियो वालंटियर्स के सामुदायिक संवाददाता के द्वारा यह वीडियो बनाया गया है। सामुदायिक संवाददाता हिंदुस्तान के हाशिये के तबकों से आते हैं और ऐसी कहानियां बयान करते हैं जो सामने नहीं आ पातीं, मुख्यधारा का मीडिया जिन्हें अनदेखा कर देता है। जो इन ख़बरों को जीते हैं वो खुद इन कहानियों को सामने लाते हैं। दूर-दराज के इलाकों की ये ख़बरें, मानवाधिकार और विकास संबंधी मसलों पर वैश्विक स्तर पर चुनौती का संदर्भ बनती हैं। इन संवाददाताओं की आवाज़ और बदलाव के पहल को बुलंद करने में हमारा साथ दें। वीडियो वालंटियर्स एक सामुदायिक मीडिया संगंठन है जो वैश्विक सामुदायिक मीडिया आंदोलन की पहलकदमी और निरंतरता के जरिये भारत के 40 लाख लोगों के जीवन को सीधे तौर पर प्रभावित किया है और बदलाव को मुमकिन बनाया है। लोगों को सशक्त करता है और उनकी आवाज़ बुलंद करता है।