2nd October: Not only a day for Mahatma Gandhi but also a brutal black chapter of genocide in Uttarakhand’s history

Today is 2 nd October, the birthday of father of the nation, symbolised as “Shanti ke pujari” priest of peace n non violence, but it was on this very day on Gandhi Jayanthi on 2nd October, 1994, that a history of black chapter was written in Mujaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh when hundreds of peaceful Uttarakhand activists marching towards Delhi in buses and vehicles to participate in a rally were mercilessly attacked, gunned down, grievously injured and allegedly raped by the goons of a political party in league with the Uttar Pradesh police’ s Provincial Armed Constabulary under the alleged orders from those at helm of affairs of Uttar Pradesh then led by Mulayam Singh Yadav via the then director general of police and the DM of Mujaffarnagar, who must have retired from their services by now, never penalised for their serious crimes.

During those days the separate Uttarakhand Rajya Andolan was at its peak with hundreds of thousands of volunteers, activists across ideological affiliations with the pro active participation of ex servicemen from the post of a retired soldiers to the Lt generals and brigadiers, youths and women were wholly involved in this movement relentlessly struggling demanding separate Uttarakhand state which has cropped up out of the anti reservation movement as a cumulative opposition that finally culminated in the shape of separate state movement raised by none other than a regional party Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, later on taking the shape of a national movement amongst Uttarakhandies.

On 2nd October, a huge rally in support of this demand was organised in New Delhi behind Red Fort by UKD and other supporting socio political organisations and people in massive numbers from various nooks and corners of Delhi, NCR, Uttarakhand and the country had wholeheartedly participated with determination and cumulative urge to demand separate state numbering several lakhs to be sabotaged by various vested political parties, fearing of losing their political grip in Uttarakhand with police in large numbers lathi charging the peaceful participants rushing here and there in search of safety. On the midnight of 1st and 2 nd October hundreds of youths, women, and senior citizens including children were heading from various parts of Garhwal to this historic rally in buses and private vehicles. While they were passing through Ram Our Tiraha ( Tri junctionction) in order to discourage and sabotage the rally, hundreds of Provincial Armed Constabulary men forcibly stopped the buses loaded with peaceful Uttarakhandies and started attacking them with lathies, abusing them, pointing their rifles resulting in not only injuring them but compelling women, men, youths n children run shelter and skelter to seek refuge.

The brutal police did not stop here but starting firing in them brutally grievously injuring and killing several women n men who were also raped inside the bushes n fields including looting them of their jewels n valuables in large number.

The news of the alleged rapes and brutal killings at Ram Our Tiraha spread like wild fire in various parts of Uttarakhand and Delhi rally, leading to multiple protests at Khatima, Missouri , Haridwar, Pauri etc resulting in several youths and senior citizens including women being martyred.

This was no less than a mini Jalianwala massacre, a most brutal black chapter of genocide in the history of Uttarakhand. In all about 46 movement activists were martyred during this historic separate Uttarakhand movement including hapless woman allegedly raped during the chief ministership of the then CM Uttar Pradesh Mulayam Singh Yadav under the orders of Anant Singh and Bua Singh who till date walk Scot free despite repeated protests and demands to penalise them every year on 2nd October.

Shame on these authors of the utmost black chapter in the history of Uttarakhand who after 26 years of the tragedy are still at large.Uttarakhand was formed in the year 2000, twenty years have passed, ten chief minister have changed, several central government have changed n so in Uttar Pradesh with an Uttarakhandi the UP CM but of no avail. Hundreds of symbolic protests take place today and one at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar including at Ram Put Tiraha, with no results in sight to stringently punish the guilty of the horrendous brutal act of Ram Put Tiraha. Shame. Our heartfelt richest tributes to these valiant activists who martyred themselves for separate Uttarakhand state. We demand death to the culprits of this most horrendous and heinous crime on humanity.