January 25, 1990, remains one of the most tragic days in the history of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
On this day, Indian security forces opened indiscriminate fire on a peaceful gathering in the Handwara area of Kupwara district, killing at least 21 unarmed civilians and injuring more than 75 others.
According to eyewitnesses, the gathering consisted of civilians protesting ongoing killings in the region and demanding justice. The people were unarmed and had assembled peacefully. At the time, the Kashmir Valley was already reeling from the shock of the Gawkadal massacre, which had taken place just days earlier.
Instead of easing tensions, Indian authorities intensified restrictions across the valley, imposing curfews, enforcing military sieges, and carrying out mass arrests. Local sources report that security forces fired directly at protesters in Handwara, plunging the entire area into fear and mourning.
Despite the scale of the tragedy, no independent investigation was conducted, nor were those responsible ever held accountable, following a pattern seen in many such incidents in the region.
The Handwara massacre is remembered by Kashmiris as a grim reminder that in Indian-occupied Kashmir, not only protest but even mourning has been treated as a crime. The incident is regarded as a bloody chapter in the long struggle of the Kashmiri people and continues to occupy a central place in the region’s collective memory.
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