26 January : A Black Day for Kashmiri people

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Muhammad Farooq Rehmani

Before the Partition of India, the Indian National Congress, in collusion with British Vice Roy Lord Mountbatten, devised a sinister plan to invade and annex Jammu and Kashmir, a Muslim-majority princely state with vital geographical proximity to the newly-formed Pakistan. This strategic invasion laid the groundwork for India’s continued occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.

India’s Republic Day, observed on January 26, is marked as a Black Day by Kashmiris worldwide, especially in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The day serves as a protest against India’s illegal imposition of its Constitution on Kashmir on August 26, 1950. This move not only violated the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, which had mandated a plebiscite for the Kashmiri people to determine their political future, but also signaled the beginning of India’s forceful annexation of the region.

Instead of fulfilling its commitment to the UNSC and granting Kashmiris their rightful self-determination, India began extending its Constitution to Kashmir, enacting repressive laws, and deploying military and paramilitary forces to suppress the population’s demands for freedom. The Indian government disbanded the state’s military forces and took several steps to undermine the distinct identity and autonomy of the Kashmiri people.

The Jan Sangh, the precursor to the current ruling BJP, waged a dangerous campaign during the 1950s and 1960s to merge Jammu and Kashmir with India. During this period, thousands of pro-plebiscite leaders, workers, and sympathizers were incarcerated for decades, and the region’s political aspirations were brutally crushed.

In 1975, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi made hollow promises to Sheikh Abdullah regarding the preservation of Article 370 and 35A, but it soon became clear that the agreement was only a facade, as the Indian government continued to violate UNSC resolutions and denied Kashmiris their basic rights.

The 1980s and 1990s saw a rise in violence and repression, as India, facing a strong reaction to its policies, imposed draconian laws and restricted political activity. The Kashmiri people, however, refused to be silenced, engaging in both political and non-political resistance. This resistance was met with Indian military brutality, including genocide, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, gang rapes, and prolonged imprisonment. The death toll in Kashmir has now surpassed 100,000, and the horrors continue.

The rise of the BJP and the election of Narendra Modi, a leader of a radical anti-Muslim agenda, exacerbated the situation. Modi’s regime dismantled Jammu and Kashmir’s special status by abrogating Articles 370 and 35A in August 2019. This move allowed Indian citizens to purchase land in the region and apply for local government jobs, a drastic measure that threatened the region’s demography and further eroded its autonomy.

Under Modi and his ally Amit Shah, the Indian government has shown little regard for Kashmir’s unique political and cultural history. Institutions have been reduced to mere puppet regimes, with the state effectively being run by a lieutenant governor. The political class is either marginalized or imprisoned, and local journalists, human rights activists, and pro-freedom leaders are subjected to harassment, detention, and violence.

The Kashmiri people, however, remain resilient in their pursuit of freedom and self-determination. Despite decades of oppression and the current regime’s harsh tactics, Kashmiris continue to fight for their rights. Thousands remain in Indian jails, with many suffering from medical neglect and inhumane conditions. Courts have become complicit in this system of oppression, and political detainees are subjected to electronic surveillance even after their release on bail.

As India prepares to celebrate its Republic Day, the region of Jammu and Kashmir is nothing short of a vast prison. The presence of Indian forces, the imposition of draconian laws, and the harsh restrictions make Kashmir resemble a concentration camp, and yet the Indian government continues to claim that Kashmiris desire to remain part of India.

The Modi government must take immediate action to address the crisis in Kashmir. It should lift restrictions on political activities, revoke oppressive laws, restore freedoms, release political leaders, and reverse the actions of August 5, 2019, to allow Kashmiris to breathe freely once again.

The international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council, must stop turning a blind eye to the plight of Kashmiris. The time has come to hold India accountable for its violation of international law and its continued persecution of the Kashmiri people.

The writer is the Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Freedom League and a senior leader of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference – Azad Jammu Kashmir (APHC-AJK) Chapter.

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