Kashmir groups to observe Black Day against Indian oppression tomorrow
ISLAMABAD: On the occasion of Indian Republic Day, January 26, a Black Day will be observed in Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, under the auspices of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter, in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Cell (JKLC).
A full-scale protest demonstration will be organized on the occasion to draw the attention of the international community to what it described as ongoing Indian oppression, unconstitutional actions, and grave and persistent human rights violations in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement issued in Muzaffarabad, the APHC-AJK chapter and the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Cell (JKLC) said that India’s so-called Republic Day holds no significance of celebration for the Kashmiri people, but instead serves as a stark reminder of what they termed continued subjugation, oppression and exploitation.
It said that instead of granting the people of Jammu and Kashmir their right to self-determination, as recognized by United Nations resolutions, India continues to enforce military lockdowns, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, arrests of political leaders and curbs on fundamental freedoms in the occupied territory.
The statement added that the observance of Black Day is intended to underscore that India’s claims of constitutionalism and democracy stand in stark contrast to the ground realities in occupied Kashmir, stressing that the Kashmiri people are not prepared to accept Indian occupation under any circumstances.
The APHC-AJK chapter and the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Cell (JKLC) appealed to the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, as well as political and social organizations, students, lawyers, civil society members, and the media, to actively participate in the Black Day protest.
The appeal urged participants to raise a collective voice against what it termed Indian atrocities in order to awaken the conscience of the international community and secure the Kashmiri people’s fundamental and legal right to self-determination. APP
