The Gawkadal massacre, which occurred on January 21, 1990, remains one of the deadliest and most tragic incidents in the history of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
More than three decades later, the victims’ families are still waiting for justice, with no independent investigation conducted and no accountability fixed.
The incident took place amid a widespread but largely peaceful popular movement that had emerged in the occupied Valley in late 1989. Following heightened tensions, strict security measures were imposed across the region after January 19, 1990, including curfews and severe restrictions on civil liberties.
On January 21, thousands of unarmed Kashmiri civilians took to the streets of Srinagar in a peaceful procession. According to eyewitness accounts, the demonstrators were marching toward the United Nations office to present their political and civil demands. As the procession reached the Gawkadal Bridge, it was blocked by Indian security forces, particularly personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
Eyewitnesses reported that security forces opened fire on the crowd without issuing any clear warning. The sudden firing caused chaos, leaving the bridge, nearby roads, and the banks of the Jhelum River strewn with bodies and injured protesters.
Official figures acknowledged the killing of 50 to 60 people, while independent eyewitnesses and survivors claim that more than 100 civilians were killed. Hundreds of others sustained injuries, many of them from gunshot wounds.
Despite the passage of more than thirty years, the Gawkadal massacre has not been subjected to an independent or transparent investigation. Families of the victims say they have received no justice and there is no hope of any justice in the future as well.
Each year on January 21, the tragedy is commemorated across Kashmir as a grim reminder of unanswered questions and unresolved grievances.
The Gawkadal massacre continues to symbolize the suffering of Kashmiri civilians and remains a stark example of rampant human rights violations in the occupied territory.
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