Protesters shut down Indian HC on Kashmir Day

LONDON: Over a thousand people protested outside the Indian High Commission in Central London to register their anger against India's illegal occupation of Kashmir and revocation of Article 370 a year ago by the Hindutva Modi regime.

On August 5 last year, India unlawfully changed the special status granted to Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution of India, effectively ending any illusion of secularism in the world's second-most populous country and snatching from Kashmiris their separate status, identity and nationhood.

British Kashmiris belonging to Jammu and Kashmir National Liberation Front, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan People’s Party, Jamiat Ulema Islam, UK National Awami Party, Jamiat Ulema Islam attended the protest outside India House in Aldwych which was guarded by over 100 police officers.

The protesters slammed Modi's fascism with regard to Kashmir and held signs saying, 'Indian Butcher Army out of Kashmir', 'Kashmir Nuclear Flash Point', 'Implement UN Resolution', 'Stop Genocide, Stop Modi Now', 'Free Kashmir, Stop Modi's Repression', 'No to Scrapping of Article 370', 'Stop Killing in Kashmir', 'India: Stop Blinding Women and Children in Kashmir' and various others.

Slogans against the fascist Indian government were also raised with the protesters chanting in favour of the freedom of Kashmiri people. Protesters seemed agitated and furious over India's brutal lockdown in Kashmir, which has lasted a year.

Speaking outside Indian High Commission, Kashmiri protesters said that 5th August marks a whole year of one of the saddest chapters in the history of the Kashmiri struggle. On 5th August 2019, the Indian state revoked Article 370 and 35-A which made Kashmiris refugees of their own land, the speakers said calling on the international community to end silence over Kashmir.

The protest leaders said that international community should imposed sanctions on Indian government for being involved in genocide of Kashmiris.

The Indian High Commission remained shut throughout the day to avoid scenes of last year when around 20,000 protestors lay siege of the High Commission demanding the government to end lockdown of Kashmiris.