2002 Amarnath pilgrimage massacre explained

2002 Amarnath pilgrimage massacre
Location:Amarnath Temple, Jammu and Kashmir
Date:2002
Partof:the Kashmir conflict
Coordinates:34.002°N 75.317°W
Victims:Hindu pilgrims
Perpetrators:Lashkar-e-Taiba
Motive:Islamist Terrorism

On 30 July and 6 August 2002, in the month of Shraavana, 11 people were killed and 30 injured in a terror attack by Islamic extremists from Lashkar-e-Taiba's front group of al-Mansuriyan, on Nunwan base camp at Pahalgam of the Amarnath Hindu pilgrimage (Yatra) to Amarnath Temple glacial cave shrine in Kashmir Valley in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.[1] In the spate of attacks on Yatra in the third consecutive year, 2 pilgrims were killed and 3 injured on 30 July when terrorists threw grenades at a civilian taxi of pilgrims in Srinagar. Further, 9 people were killed and 27 injured on 6 August by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists' hail of bullets at Nunwan base camp at Pahalgam.

Background

The 48-days July–August annual Hindu pilgrimage, undertaken by up to 600,000 or more pilgrims to high glacial Amarnath cave shrine of iced stalagmite Shiv linga e at in Himalayas, is called Amarnath Yatra.[2] [3] [4] It begins with a mountainous trek from the Nunwan and Chandanwari base camp at Pahalgam and reaches cave-shine after night halts at Sheshnag Lake and Panchtarni camps.[5] The yatra is both a way of earning revenue by the state government by imposing tax on pilgrims,[6] [7] and making living by the local Shia Muslim Bakarwal-Gujjars by taking a portion of revenue and by offering services to the Hindu pilgrims, and this source of income has been threatened by the Islamist Kashmiri Sunni militant groups who have banned and attacked the yatra numerous times,[8] [9] [10] [11] [12] as well as have massacred at least 43 people in Amarnath pilgrimage terrorist-attack massacre (2000) and Amarnath pilgrimage terrorist-attack massacre (2001) causing death of mostly unarmed Hindu pilgrims and 10 Muslim civilians.[13] [14]

On 2 August 2000, pro-Pakistan[15] Islamic terrorists from Hizbul Mujahideen (designated a terrorist organisation by India,[16] European Union[17] and United States,[18] [19] [20] [21] [22]) massacred at least 32 people and injured at least 60 people in a two hour long indiscriminate shoot out at Nunwan base camp in Anantnag district, causing the death of 21 unarmed Hindu pilgrims and 7 unarmed Muslim shopkeepers, and 3 security force officers.[13] This attack on Amarnath yatra was part of the larger 1st and 2nd August 2000 Kashmir massacre in 5 separate coordinated terrorist attacks that killed at least 89 (official count) to 105 people (as reported by PTI), and injured at least 62 more.[23]

On 20 July 2001, a terrorist threw a grenade on a pilgrim night camp at Sheshnag near the Amarnath shrine in which at least 13 persons, including 3 women, were killed in two explosions and firing by militants, 2 were security officials and 3 of the killed person were Muslim civilians.[13] [14] 15 other were also injured in the attack.[24]

Aftermath

Earlier attacks on Amarnath yatra and Bin Laden's September 11 attacks on USA, were some of the incidents that forced the change in global response to the Islamic terror attacks from aloof and sporadic to united and coordinated.[25] Pakistan-backed Islamic terrorist organizations,[15] Lashkar-e-Taiba[26] [27] [28] [29] founded by Hafiz Saeed[30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] and Hizbul Mujahideen were designated terrorist organisations by India,[16] European Union[17] and United States.[18] [19] [20] [21] [22]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. 2003, Chronology of Major Killings in Jammu and Kashmir, Kashmir herald, Volume 2, No. 11.
  2. http://www.amarnathyatra.org/yatra.htm Amarnath Yatra explained
  3. Web site: Amarnath Yatra Tourism Information. www.oneindiaonline.com.
  4. http://archive.boston.com/bigpicture/2012/07/amarnath_journey_to_the_shrine.html Amarnath: Journey to the shrine of a Hindu god
  5. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Amarnath-yatra-ends-least-number-of-pilgrims-in-decade/article14576514.ece Amarnath yatra ends, least number of pilgrims in decade
  6. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Remove-entry-fee-on-buses-to-Vaishno-Devi-Amarnath-BJP/articleshow/6064803.cms BJP demands removal of Amarnath yatra entry fee
  7. http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=65397 No Additional Tax Levied on Vehicles Going to Amarnath and Vaishno Devi
  8. Carl W. Ernst, 2016, Refractions of Islam in India: Situating Sufism and Yoga, SAGE Publications, .
  9. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Muslim-group-asks-for-reviving-Amarnath-Yatra/articleshow/53247175.cms Muslim group asks for reviving Amarnath Yatra
  10. http://www.orfonline.org/expert-speaks/kashmir-no-algorithm-for-azadi Expert Speak on Kashmir: No algorithm for Azadi
  11. Web site: Rediff On The NeT: Harkatul Mujaheedin 'bans' Amarnath Yatra . Rediff.com . 9 July 1998 . 2013-04-15.
  12. http://rajyasabha.gov.in/journals/178/26081996.htm
  13. Vicky Nanjappa, Amarnath yatra has been attacked thrice in the past, One India News. 11 July 2017.
  14. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010722/main1.htm 6 pilgrims among 13 killed in 2 blasts
  15. Sati Sahni, 10,000 The birth of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Rediff News, July 2000
  16. Web site:

    Ministry of Home Affairs:: BANNED ORGANISATIONS

    . 2013-01-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20130129051543/http://mha.nic.in/uniquepage.asp?id_pk=292. 2013-01-29. dead. 2017-05-15.
  17. Web site: COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2015/2430 of 21 December 2015. eur-lex.europa.eu. 2017-05-15.
  18. News: US adds 4 Indian outfits to terror list. 13 May 2015. Rediff. 30 April 2004.
  19. Web site: L – Appendix A: Chronology of Significant Terrorist Incidents, 2002. 2016-08-22.
  20. Web site: N – Appendix C: Background Information on Other Terrorist Groups. 2016-08-22.
  21. Web site: Appendix C – Background Information on Other Terrorist Groups. 2016-08-22.
  22. Book: Background Information on Other Terrorist Groups. State Department of the United States of America.
  23. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20000803/main1.htm#1 "Night of massacres leaves 105 dead in valley"
  24. http://www.firstpost.com/india/amarnath-yatra-devotees-have-faced-repeated-terror-attacks-heres-the-blood-soaked-history-of-pilgrimage-3799091.html "Amarnath Yatra devotees have faced repeated terror attacks: Here's the blood-soaked history of pilgrimage"
  25. http://indianexpress.com/article/research/911-anniversary-how-the-world-changed-in-15-years-3025632/ 9/11 anniversary: How the world changed in 15 years
  26. Book: Basset, Donna. Encyclopedia of Terrorism. 2012. ABC-CLIO. 978-0313308956. 12. Peter Chalk.
  27. Web site: Profile: Lashkar-e-Taiba (Army of the Pure) (a.k.a. Lashkar e-Tayyiba, Lashkar e-Toiba; Lashkar-i-Taiba) . Jayshree Bajoria . 14 January 2010 . Council on Foreign Relations . 11 May 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100605151918/http://www.cfr.org/publication/17882/ . 5 June 2010 . dmy .
  28. Audrey. Kurth Cronin. Huda Aden . Adam Frost . Benjamin Jones . Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Congressional Research Service. 6 February 2004. 4 March 2009.
  29. Web site: Mumbai Terror Attacks Fast Facts. 19 September 2013 . CNN.
  30. Web site: Deadly Embrace: Pakistan, America and the Future of Global Jihad . Brookings.edu . 28 October 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120127080018/http://www.brookings.edu/events/2011/0118_pakistan_america.aspx . 27 January 2012 . dmy .
  31. Web site: Deadly Embrace: Pakistan, America and the Future of Global Jihad, transcript . http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20111029182345/http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/events/2011/0118_pakistan/20110118_deadly_embrace.pdf . dead . 29 October 2011 . Brookings.edu . 28 October 2012 .
  32. Web site: The 9/11 Attacks' Spiritual Father . Brookings.edu . 28 October 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120127015845/http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2011/0911_riedel.aspx . 27 January 2012 . dmy .
  33. Web site: The 15 faces of terror. Rediff.com. 28 October 2012.
  34. Book: E. Atkins. Stephen. Encyclopedia of Modern Worldwide Extremists and Extremist Groups. 2004. Greenwood Press. 978-0313324857. 173. registration.
  35. News: Bad Company – Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and the Growing Ambition of Islamist Mujahidein in Pakistan. 11 March 2010. Ashley J. Tellis. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The group's earliest operations were focused on the Kunar and Paktia provinces in Afghanistan, where LeT had set up several training camps in support of the jihad against the Soviet occupation..

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