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Thursday March 28, 2024

Indian Republic Day observed as Black Day in IIOJ&K, AJK

By Syed Abbas Gardezi
January 27, 2023

ISLAMABAD/MUZAFFARABAD: In Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K), All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leaders have said that India has no right to celebrate its Republic Day in the territory.

APHC leaders Syed Bashir Andrabi and Khawaja Firdous in their joint statement issued in Srinagar on Thursday, said that actually India was not a democratic country and had occupied Jammu and Kashmir on the basis of force. The people of Kashmir are observing India’s Republic Day as Black Day, they said.

They deplored that whenever a special day of India approaches, the Indian troops accelerate their state terrorism in IIOJ&K and urged the Kashmiri people to observe the Indian Republic Day as Black Day on the appeal of the Hurriyat Conference.

The Hurriyat leaders said the Kashmiri people have continued their struggle for the right to self-determination but due to India’s rigid stance the Kashmir dispute is still unresolved and pending with the United Nations. They said that Jammu and Kashmir was a disputed territory, so India has no right to celebrate its Republic Day in IIOJ&K. They added that despite the atrocities of the Indian troops, the Kashmiri people would not give up their struggle and would continue it till complete success.

Illegally detained Hurriyat leader, Abdul Samad Inqilabi in a statement in Srinagar said Kashmiri people all over the world are protesting against the atrocities on the Kashmiris by Modi-led fascist Indian government and demanded that the Kashmiris should be given their birthright to self-determination according to the United Nations resolutions.

APHC leaders Khadim Hussain and Syed Sibte Shabbir Qumi in a joint statement in Srinagar said India is not a democratic country and has occupied Jammu and Kashmir against the will of the Kashmiris. They urged the people of the territory to observe the Indian Republic Day, today, as Black Day.

The Democratic Hurriyat Front in a statement issued in Srinagar said the current situation of IIOJ&K is a big challenge for the international community and appealed to the world powers to help settle the lingering Kashmir dispute according to the UN resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

Vice Chairman of Gujjar Pahari Democratic Forum, Advocate Zahoor Ahmad Shah in his statement, denounced the Indian brutalities in IIOJ&K and said the usurped India has no right to celebrate its Republic Day in the territory.

Meanwhile, people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir observed Indian Republic day as Black day here on Thursday. A large protest procession was organised under the aegis of Pasban-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir where people marched from Burhan Wani Chowk to Gharipan and hoisted black flags and chanted Anti-India and pro-freedom slogans. Speakers on the occasion said that Kashmiris negate the Indian stance of social republic state as it has forcefully occupied the state of Jammu and Kashmir besides massive human rights violations committed by Indian soldiers.

They maintained that the purpose to observe Black Day on Indian Republic day is to address the world conscience that the so-called democratic republic of India has occupied the state of Jammu and Kashmir forcefully. "Kashmiri do not admit Indian occupation on their state and they have sacrificed their loved ones for the legitimate struggle of freedom according to UN resolutions", speakers added.

Speakers further said that how can a country celebrate Republic Day when around 15 million people are under continuous military siege of Indian Army. "Narendra Modi government has usurped the basic human rights of Kashmiri people, adding that under the guise of democracy, India cannot bluff the world as it has illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir", they said.

They further added that abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A are testimonials that India is not democratic but a pro Hindutva country. They appealed the UN and other international organizations to play their role on longest pending dispute of Kashmir for the stability of peace in South Asia.