PUNJAB HUMAN RIGITS ORGANISATION

REPORT

Massacre of six innocent Sikh farmers

of Nathu Ke Burj, District Amritsar

by the Army on the morning of 26 February,

1991, :

A team of Punjab Human Rights Organization (PHRO) consisting of Dr. Mrs. Sukhjeet Gill, Maj. Gen, Narinder Singh (Retd.) and S.Jaspal Singh was detailed to prepare a report on the above incident. Accordingly the team visited Nathu Ke Burj on 6th April,1991,

They met the families of affected personnel and carried out detailed investigation including a visit to the site of the occurrence together with some of the eye witnesses and inspection of the cart on which the farmers were travelling on the fateful Gay. The report prepared by the team is as follows.

Village Nathu Ke Burj is situated about 4 Km from Police Station Sarhali, one Km off the link road Sarhali-Patti in Amritsar District; It has a population of about 1500 and has quite a number of ex-servicemen. There is no previous history of involvement of anyone from the village in any terrorist activity.

Early morning on 26 Feb, 91 about 4 a.m. the following eight persons (farmers) set off on a single buffalo driven wooden cart on a direct dirt track to Sarhali petrol station with cans to be put in line to get diesel on account of acute shortage of diesel in the wake of Gulf War (this was the usual practice) :-

  • Gurcharan Singh 8/o Banta Singh aged 42 years -retired Havildar from Boarder Security Force, (Sergeant)
  • Karanbir Singh S/o Gurcharan Singh aged 16 years – only son and child of (a) above.
  • Mehar Singh S/o Mit Singh aged 25 years. Balbir Singh S/o Niranjan Singh aged 23 years.
  • Pargat Singh S/o Chanan Singh aged 28 years.
  • Sarwan Singh S/o Mukhtar Singh aged 18 years.

Brigadier in his conversation with Subedar Major expressed regret over the incident; Attitude of Col. N.K.Paul was one of complete indifference. He did not express any regret when told by Subedar Major Hari Singh that his battalion had done this cruel act, which he could have stopped. Instead of saying anything he just lighter a cigrate, Subedar Major Hari Singh enquired from the 2nd Lieutenant and army subedar as to who was incharge of the ambush; there was no. reply from them.

Punjab Police under SHO incharge Sarhali police Station were the first to arrive on the scene followed by police from Patti, Tara Taran and other places. Sensing mounting resentment among the very large number of villagers ~ about 10,000 strong – the army personnel went away. The villagers did not allow removal of he dead bodies as they lay on the cart till Deputy Commissioner Amritsar arrived,. Others who reached the site were SSP Tarn Taran, SP Patti, SDM Patti, SDM Tarn Taran, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar,and SHO Patti. On the insistance of the Public, postmortem of the six killed and the buffalo was carried out on the site. Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar admitted the mistake of the Army in gunning down innocent, unarmed six farmers in cold blood, He announced an immediate Payment of Rs.20,000 in cash and Rs.30,000/= in Indira Vikas Patras to dependents of each victim. General Malhotra, Governor of Punjab visited the village on 6th March,1991 and after accepting mistake of the Army announced a further grant of R.50,000/= each to families of the killed.

Family details of the six killed persons are as follows:«<

(a) Gurcharan Singh S/o Banta Singh aged 42 years, retired Havildar from BSF, Both he and his only son and child Karanbir Singh have been killed leaving behind his widow Smt. Sukhwinder Kaur aged 40 years, They own 10 acres land, Karanbir Singh was unmarried and had studied upto 6th class and was doing farming.

(b)  Mehar Singh S/o Mit Singh aged 25 years, Married, leaves behind a young widow 21 years old smt. Manjit Kaur with three minor daughters 4 years, 2 years and six months old. Own 6 acres of land. The deceased had studied upto 7th class and was a reciter of Gur Granth Sahib.

(c) Balbir Singh S/o Nirayan Singh aged 23 years. Un-= married, Father Sub-inspector PAP retired. Younger brother married and in the Army. Mother aged 60 years. The family owns 2 acres.

(d) Pargat Singh S/o Chanan Singh aged 26 years. Married. Chanan Singh is Mazhbi Sikh and village ehowkidar. Young widow Sukhi with two minor sons aged 4 and 2 years, Pargat Singh was a landless labourer.

(e) Sarwan Singh S/o Mukhtiar Singh aged 18 years. Family has no land. He was handicapped in one leg, worked as landless labourer. Father and mother alive Was eldest in the family with two younger brothers and two younger sisters.

The buffalo was also killed in the shooting. Photo copies of the Post mortem reports in respect of all the six persons and buffalo killed in the incident are attached. Also attached are photographs of the cart with the dead persons lying on it. Photo copies of the receipts for telegrams sent to various authorities mentioned in the report are also attached. Photo copies of signed statements on oath by the following important witnesses are attached:-

(a) Gurshinder Singh S/o Banta Singh

(b) Gurbachan Singh S/o Banta Singh

(c) Gura Singh S/o Mit Singh

(d) Mohinder Singh S/o Banta Singh

(e) Jagtar Singh S/o Asu Singh

(f) Hari Singh S/o Tara Singh

An English translation of the same is also attached. The investigating team visited the site alone with the eye

Witnesses and made a detailed study of the occurrence. Sub. Maj. Hari Singh (Retd.) and Gurshinder Singh retired inspector of Border Security Force were of great help in reconstructing the incident on account of their knowledge of the service in the Army and BSF respectively. The culvert on the .canal distributor where the ambush was laid and over which the cart was to cross is about ten feet higher than the surrounding area, There is, therefore, no question of the ponderous buffalo being able to run away on such a steep slope. The position of the cart according to the eyewitnesses and where the dead buffalo was lying when it was fired upon, Clearly indicate that the deceased travelling on the cart were fired upon from both sides of the culvert from a close range of 2 to 3 yards, From the position and posture of the dead bodies on the cast as can be seen in the photographs and the postmortem reports also clearly indicate that the individuals were shot from close range. It is quite apparent that the persons were shot without warning from very close range while sitting on the cart. The dead bodies lay wrapped in blankets/heavy sheets as the men had wrapped themselves against cold, The ambush was laid by a battalion located about 20 kms away from the village while another battalion was located not more than 4 kms from the village, this is surprising !

Findings and conclusion

The PHRO team is of the firm view that the six farmers travelling on the buffalo cart were gunned down without any warning from very close range. The farmers were totally unarmed and innocent and were proceeding to get diesel from Sarhali Petrol Station. There is no shred of evidence to suggest any attempt on the part of the farmers to run away. On the contrary, all evidence without doubt establishes that the farmers were gunned down in cold blood. The incident gives a lie to the off repeated statement of the Governor of Punjab and Prime Minister a Chander Shekhar that army deployed in the border district of Punjab is out on exercise, Nathu ke Burj is good 50 km from the border as the crow flies.

The Civil Authorities including the Governor of Punjab have admitted that it was a mistake.

The Army personnel involved must be tried for murder.

Compensation paid to the next-of -kin is totally inadequate; It should be on the same scale as for a Police Jawan who is killed by the militants,

Maj Gen Narinder Singh

(Retd.) Vice Chairman.

Dr Mrs Sukhjeet Gill

Vice Chairperson,

Mr Jaspal Singh

President Distt. Unit

Justice Ajit Singh Bains

Chairman.