Tuesday, February 28 2006 10:17 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: Ahead of US President George W. Bush's visit to India, security has been beefed up in Jammu and Kashmir especially in minority-dominated villages to prevent the type of massacre of 35 Sikhs taken place on the eve of the then American President Bill Clinton's trip in 2000, official sources said today (Feb 28,2006).

Police and security forces have been put on maximum alert in Sikh and Hindu-dominated villages in the state to ensure that no incident that could mar the visit of Bush, they said. All necessary precautions are being taken and security arrangements are being made to prevent any strike on the minorities or any other people in the state, they said.

Thirty-five Sikhs were massacred at Chattisinghpora in Anantnag district of south Kashmir hours before Clinton landed in New Delhi on March 21, 2000.

The killing gave birth to many controversies leading to suspension of a senior police officer and institution of an inquiry report of which is still to be made public.

The massacre had led to many questions being asked about the killers and their motives, given the timing of the carnage.

Conscious of this, the authorities are leaving nothing to chance this time and have asked the police, especially in the 67 villages of Kashmir valley, to provide extra security ahead of Bush's visit, the sources said.

The authorities are also taking precautions against the possibility of headline grabbing strikes by militants in other parts of the state. This has resulted in stepped up security in Jammu and Srinagar cities, the sources said.

The police in Srinagar's Mahnoornagar area has been directed to provide extra security cover to the Sikhs living in the area as seven Sikhs had fallen to the bullets of unidentified assassins on February 3, 2001.

Similar is the situation at Nadimarg in Anantnag where 24 Hindus were done to death on March 13/14 night in 2003.

Massacre of minorities started in 1996. Seven Kashmiri Pandits were killed on March 20, 1996 at Sangrampura in Budgam, followed by 25 Pandits at Wandhama-Ganderbal in Srinagar on the Republic Day in 1997.