Published at Kashmir dispatch
Bilques was waiting for her turn, on the banks of Wullar Lake, to take a joyride when the boat capsized. Moments later she saw her sister Rehana drowning. “Her last words to me were- papas wanta mi bachaw” (Tell father to save me),” she says.
A picture of graveyard where 20 children are buride. Children share graves here.
The vast lake was abuzz with activity on a bright summer day. Girls running around, boys playing hide-and-seek in nearby thickets and teachers disciplining tots to sing poems of hope and brighter tomorrow, the usually silent Wullar had come to life. In the afternoon, children were goaded at a place for lunch. Almost everyone spoke of the joyride that was to be taken once the lunch over.
A Boat Assault Universal Type (BAUT) speedboat came cruising towards the banks and the children thumped the ground in jubilation. It belonged to Marcos- highly trained marine commandoes belonging to Indian Navy, who are stationed at the lake since the outbreak of insurgency in the state in 1989.
The first batch of students and teachers boarded the boat and it set for a joyride that was a “gesture of friendship” offered by the Marcos. While a group of children and their teachers got off safely from the first two rides, the small speedboat, with over 30 aboard, and which is meant for 16 fully equipped combat troops and two crew members, capsized in the midst of the lake. The negligence on part of Marcos cost 22 lives including 20 children.
Shaista, was among the children from Burning Candle School who were in the boat when it capsized. “We were almost 35 people in the boat. There was a hole in the bottom of the boat wherefrom water was continuously piercing,” she says.
Contrary to the Navy claim that the children had assembled on oneside and the boat lost balance when it took a sharp turn, she says, “Water had seeped into the boat through the hole and it lost balance and collapsed.”
Abdul Hamid, a resident of Watlab- situated on the banks of the lake says, “I was watching these kids from other side of the lake. They were very happy. Once they reached at centre, boat collapsed.” He adds the boat ‘didn’t take any steep turn’.
Locals here say, these deaths could have been prevented if men from Navy would not have stopped them. “When kids shouted for help people from all adjacent areas gathered. But Navy force didn’t allow us to interfere. Despite that we rescued 6 kids. If Navy would not have stopped us we could have saved more,” says Hamid’s friend Mohammad Ramzan.
FAMILIES KEPT IN DARK:
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“I compelled my husband to permit kids for an excursion”
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Classmates, friends and siblings died in the boat capsize in Wullar on May 30, 2006. Not far away from the Handwara market in a desolate alley is the house of Aesha Bano, who lost her 6-year-old son Mehraj-ud-din and 10-year-old daughter Shameema in the tragedy.
With tears rolling down her eyes she regrets her decision to send her children on picnic despite their father opposing the decision. “I compelled my husband to give permission to the kids for an excursion,” she says amid sobs.
He did not allow, but, Ayseha joined the chorus with her children and made him agree.
“The teachers of Burning Candle Public School assured that they will not take kids to a place where there was a water body,” she says.
Sources say that the school authorities changed their mind after Navy offered them the joyrides as a "friendship gesture". Instead of going to picnic to shrine of a saint in Reshvoor, they headed to Watlab on the banks of Wullar.
“If I would have come to know earlier that school authorities are going for excursion under Indian Navy. I would have never sent my kids with them,” she says adding “It seems that Indian navy and school authorities hadpreplanned for the murder of 20 kids.”
Like Ayesha, Farooq Ahmad who lost his two daughters was not aware of that excursion was taken in collaboration with the Navy. He was also kept in dark about the spot chosen for excursion. The lie cost him his daughters Samreena a student of 9th class and Suraya who was in 2nd class.
“School authorities assured me that they will take kids to Baba Shukur Din Shrine. But notwithstanding their promise they took our kids to Watlab,” he says.
The pain keeps on manifesting for Farooq and his family. “After one month Samreena’s teacher gave me my daughter’s picture and told me that she has clicked it half an hour before this episode” he says.
Had it not been for the local fishermen, Farooq would have lost his third daughter, Shaista. “She was also among the children who drowned but was rescued by local fishermen,” he says.
GRAVEYARD AND JUSTICE
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| Names of children who drowned inscribed on a stone |
All the children have been buried in a graveyard near Handwara where smiling roses ornament the graves. “The children share graves here. Brothers have been buried together, somewhere three children are buried in same grave,” says the caretaker.
Not surprisingly though, the government is yet to initiate action against the Navy personnel indicted by a judicial commission for drowning the children five years ago.
Following massive protests across the Valley, the state government, led by then chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, had ordered judicial inquiry in the case.
The inquiry officer, Tariq Naqashbandi, blamed four Navy officials—Lt K S Nehra, officer in-charge naval Det (Marcos), Watlab, Krishan Khulvi boat operator, Raj Ram and Ganishan—for negligence in the tragedy.
Naqashbandi had recommended that criminal proceedings be launched against the four Navy officials and principal of the school for negligence, which resulted in the tragedy.
Pertinently, then Navy Chief, Admiral Arun Prakash, is on record having said that no one from the Navy would be spared if indicted.
The Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had said that he would write to Naval authorities to initiate action against guilty personnel.
In the hearts of its survivors the tragedy is still fresh. “I also boarded the boat, but my Didi (sister) brought me down saying that it is dangerous to travel in it as it was already overloaded,” recalls Sufiya, who lost her two sisters in the tragedy.
