Protests take place in Shopian District of JK after terrorists attack Kashmiri Pandit cousins
The two Kashmiri Pandit brothers Sunil Kumar Bhat and his cousin Pertimber Nath were the victims of a horrific terrorist attack in Chotigam, a small hamlet in the Shopian district of South Kashmir, which infuriated their community. Pertimber Nath (Pintu) sustained injuries, but Sunil succumbed to his.
They were both farmers, Sunil and Pintu. While they were hard at work in their orchard, terrorists opened fire on them. When Pakistan-sponsored terrorism overran Kashmir in 1990, Sunil’s family was one of three Kashmiri Pandit families that stayed in the Valley.
The terrorists who killed Sunil Kumar Bhat on purpose caused the village of Chotigam to go into mourning, with Muslim villagers coming out and yelling anti-terrorist chants. They took part in Sunil’s funeral and bade him a tearful farewell, sending a strong message to the terrorists and those who support them that they cannot repeat the events of 1990, when Pakistan ordered the killing of Kashmiri Pandits and the majority community stood by in silence out of fear that guns would be pointed in their direction. Today, that fear is no longer present, and they firmly support their Kashmiri Pandit brethren.
Attack was met with widespread condemnation from all facets of society. Manoj Sinha, the lieutenant governor of J&K, tweeted his regret for the cowardly act: “I am beyond words in pain over the abhorrent terrorist attack in Shopian on civilians. My thoughts are with Sunil Kumar’s family. praying for the injured to recover quickly. All parties should strongly condemn the attack. The terrorists who committed the heinous act will not escape punishment.”
“Sunil Kumar was killed and Pinto Kumar was injured in the militant attack in Shopian, which I unequivocally condemn. Sending the family my condolences “Former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah posted it on twitter.
But Mehbooba Mufti, the leader of the People’s Democratic Party and a former chief minister of J&K who has taken up the cause of separatists, chose to blame New Delhi for the crime in a diplomatic manner rather than accusing Pakistan. In a tweet, she wrote, “Terribly sorry to hear about the targeted killing in Shopian. The family of the deceased is being condoled. As long as its head is buried in the sand, GOI will continue to act like an ostrich. The goal of Delhi’s manufactured normalcy is to use every J&K resident as cannon fodder.
