01-05-2025
35 Killed, 6 Kidnapped, 1 Released: 27 Years Ago, Himachal Witnessed Its Own 'Pahalgam'
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According to reports, armed terrorists from Hizbul Mujahideen gunned down 35 Hindu labourers in cold blood - 9 in Satrundi and 26 in Kalaban.
The recent terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir, has stirred painful memories of the brutal massacre that shook Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district nearly three decades ago.
It was on the night of August 2, 1998, when the remote villages of Satrundi and Kalaban, located near the Sach Pass on the Himachal-Kashmir border, were engulfed in terror. Armed terrorsits from Hizbul Mujahideen stormed the labour camps where workers, primarily Hindus, were engaged in road construction. Under the cover of darkness, they launched a coordinated and deadly terror attack.
According to official records and eyewitness accounts, the terrorists gunned down 35 Hindu labourers in cold blood – 9 in Satrundi and 26 in Kalaban. The workers, who had been toiling away on the region's ambitious infrastructure project, lived in temporary tents and were largely unprotected.
In addition to the massacre, six workers were taken hostage. Of these, only one – a Muslim labourer – was reportedly released. The fate of the remaining captives remains unknown to this day.
The victims included Santram, Diwan Chand, Maan Singh, Sher Singh, and Mir Singh, all residents of Bairaajgarh. Their families, along with the entire region, have spent 27 years waiting for answers that never came.
The incident led to a massive security overhaul in the region. The Home Ministry officially recognised the killings as a terrorist attack, prompting a long-term deployment of central security forces and a joint investigation by the Himachal Pradesh Police and central agencies. In 2014, a martyr's memorial was erected at the site of the massacre to commemorate the lives lost and to serve as a grim reminder of the horrors of that night.
Now, with the wounds of Pahalgam terrorist attack still fresh, the specter of cross-border terrorism looms once again over the peaceful hills of Himachal. Chamba, which shares a porous border with Jammu and Kashmir, has seen a marked increase in security measures in recent days.
Speaking to News18, Superintendent of Police Abhishek Yadav confirmed that border vigilance has been intensified across all sensitive points, including Tunu Haddi, Langera, and Kheri. All vehicles entering Chamba district from the direction of Jammu and Kashmir are being thoroughly checked, he said.
Locals, too, are wary. Many residents, especially during the ongoing Minjar fair – a time when a significant number of visitors arrive from Kashmir – are calling for heightened surveillance and preventive action.
'This is not the first time our peace has been shattered," said a local elder from Chamba. We remember 1998 all too well. We lost our sons, and we never saw some of them again. The government must ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated, he added.
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First Published:
May 01, 2025, 12:33 IST
