India’s Republic Day observed as Black Day across world

Ag Agencies

ISLAMABAD/SRINAGAR: The activists of International Kashmir Lobby Group, Youth Forum for Kashmir (YFK) organised a symbolic roadside vigil at D-Chowk Saturday here to observe India’s Republic Day as Black Day and to express solidarity with oppressed people of Indian Held Kashmir (IHK) on the occasion.

The speakers reminded that Indian Republic Day is marked as Black Day by Kashmiris in IHK and all over the world. India is enjoying freedom but paradoxically denying freedom to Kashmiris by occupying vast area of Kashmir. They said that New Delhi has a proven track record of avoiding the resolution of Kashmir in the hope of annexing the territory permanently. In seven decades, India has failed to achieve this objective. “The only alternative for India is to respect the call of UN Human Rights Council for the international investigations in Kashmir that led to the implementation on UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir,” they added.

A large number of Kashmiri and Pakistani youth, student unions and civil society members were present, holding placards and banners, demanding freedom for Kashmir and chanted slogans against the illegal occupation of India on Kashmir. The speakers expressed that, India’s army is involved in extrajudicial killings, illegal detentions and the highest number of cases of rapes and sexual harassment in the world. India has no moral ground to call itself a democracy, while it snatches the basic rights of Kashmiris.

The YFK calls on India to stop state repression in Kashmir, withdraw the army, stop harassing pro-freedom activists and start creating an environment conducive to the eventual implementation of UN-supervised plebiscite to determine the future of the territory. The speakers reminded that the YFK is an International Kashmir Lobby Group and it is a non-partisan INGO, working for the peaceful resolution of Kashmir conflict in accordance with United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

Meanwhile Indian occupying forces martyred two more Kashmiris in Indian Held Kashmir on the occasion of India’s Republic Day on Saturday.

The youth were martyred during a cordon and search operation claimed the occupying for Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and across the world are observing the day as a black day to protest against India’s continued brutality and denial of the right to self-determination to Kashmiris, Pakistan’s state run radio reported.

Meanwhile, complete shutdown is being observed Saturday to mark the Indian Republic Day as Black Day.

According to Kashmir Media Service (KMS), call for the shutdown has been given by the Joint Resistance Leadership comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik.

All shops and business establishments are closed while traffic is off the roads in Srinagar and other towns of the occupied territory. The puppet authorities have put the entire occupied Kashmir especially Srinagar and Jammu under siege.

Thousands of Indian troops and police personnel have deployed in every nook and corner of the occupied territory, causing huge inconvenience to the people. The authorities have also placed Hurriyat leaders including Syed Ali Gilani, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Hilal Ahmed War, Javaid Ahmed Mir, Zafar Akbar Butt, Abdul Ahad Parra, Molvi Bashir Irfani, Abdur Rasheed Lone, Mushtaq Ajmal and Parray Hassan Firdosi under house arrest or in police custody to prevent them from leading the demonstrations.

The authorities have snapped mobile internet services and suspended train service across occupied Kashmir.

The Patron of Jammu and Kashmir Mass Movement, Farida Bahenji, in a statement issued in Srinagar said that Jammu and Kashmir was not a part of India, therefore, New Delhi has no right to celebrate its Republic Day in the territory.

She strongly denounced the detention of Hurriyat leaders including party members, Maulvi Bashir Irfani and Abdur Rasheed Lone.

On the other hand, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said Pakistan will continue to raise the plight of oppressed Kashmiri people at every regional and international forum.

In his message on the Black Day being observed by Kashmiri people he stressed the need for implementation of the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions on Kashmir dispute.

He said the sacrifices of Kashmiris will not go waste.

Referring to the Indian gross human rights violations in occupied Kashmir the foreign minister said the Indian forces are bluntly victimising the Kashmiri people in the held valley and New Delhi has broken all records of atrocities.

He said India has no justification to observe the Republic Day when it has snatched the right of self-determination from Kashmiri people and its hand are soaked in the blood of innocent people.