20000401

Complete shut-down

in occupied Valley

to mourn Sikhs killings

SRINAGAR: A one-day strike, to mourn the recent massacre of 37 Sikhs, on Friday shut down the whole of Occupied Kashmir.

Shops were closed and traffic stayed off the roads to mark the killings 10 days ago of 36 Sikhs in Chattisinghpra village, south of Srinagar.

Sikhs arrived here from neighboring Punjab state. It coincided with a special prayer ceremony ritually held 10 days after a funeral. Hundreds of Sikhs headed for Chattisinghpora to join the prayers, travelling in buses, cars and trucks.

They chanted religious slogans as they headed for the massacre site, which had been decorated with flowers. Senior leaders of the Sikh community in Indian occupied Kashmir and the chief minister of Punjab, Prakash Singh Badal, were also expected to attend.

Security was tight, with soldiers manning the roads leading to the areas. The strike was called by the Kashmir Joint Sikh Action Committee, a collection of 13 Sikh organisations based in Kashmir.

It was supported by the main Kashmiri alliance, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference. Hurriyat leaders allege that Indian intelligence agencies were behind the killings of 36 Sikhs.

Over the past two days, hundreds of Kashmiri villagers have staged a protest against Indian security forces, alleging the disappearance of Muslim civilians.

They said many young Muslim men had been detained by security forces after the Chattisinghpora killings.

They also claimed that six Mujahideen Ñ killed by the Indian army on Wednesday Ñ were actually civilians.ÑPPI