Observer Report
ON 13 July 1931, thousands of Kashmir flocked to the central jail in Srinagar to see the trial of Abdul Qadeer who was being held and tried on charges of sedition.
The Dogra governor, Ray Zada Tartilok Chand, ordered his soldiers to open fire on them, in total 22x Kashmiris died in the firing.
The day was remembered as Kashmir martyrs Day. It was removed as an official holiday of IIOJK by Indian in 2019. Pakistan still marks the day as National Day.
Kashmir struggle to gain right of self-determination and freedom continues till to date. From British to Dogras to Hindus, Kashmiris have been sacrificing valuable lives and honour.
A home grown freedom struggle remains the oldest disute on UN agenda and suffers from being viewed from the prism of geo-politics and world order rather humanity.
Since 13 July 1931, Kashmiris have seen many martyrs days and continue to brave Indian excesses (condemned by world powers, UN and international organisations)
Since 1990, nearly 100,000 Kashmiris including women and children have been killed.
As per study by Kashmir Media Service report there are 107,000 orphaned children and 22,764 widowed women in IIOJK, all as a result of Indian army brutality.
In addition to 120,465 civilians arrested, nearly 7,000 people have been killed in police sustody under torture, another 8,000 persons, according to the APDP (Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons) report.
What is equally shocking is the total disregard for human dignity, especially the honour of Kashmiri women of whom more than 10,000 have been raped by Indian occupation forces since the latest uprising began in 1989.
In the capital, Srinagar alone, there are 300,000 Indian troops (out of total 900,000 troops in IIOJK) and other security personnel for a total population of one million.
Thus, there is one soldier for every three civilians in Srinagar, making it the most militarized city in the world.
Office of the united Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released two reports in 2018 and 2019 on “the situation of human rights in IIOJK” highlighting the plight of Kashmiris.
The US State Department’s annual HR report also identified unlawful, arbitrary and extrajudicial killings and disappearances as major issues.
The report covers incidents reported in 2020 (32 extrajudicial killing the first half of 2020 in the IIOJK.
The US report also referred to a study by the J&K Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), which reported 229 killings in 107 incidents in the first six months of the year.
Indian authorities, since the BJP first came to power in 2015, have been increasingly using sedition and criminal defamation laws to stifle dissent.
Modi regime has been eyeing annexation of J&K as an agenda achieved through revoking 370 and Article 35A on 5 Aug 2019. The act received wider condemnation from the world.
Moreover, through de-limitation is now attempting to change demographics of the region in favour of Hindus (in total disregard of UNSC Resolutions which disallow any such change).
India has bought Israeli treatment of Palestinians as franchise and implemented it in South Asia. Communication blackouts, financial squeezing and threat to life and honour is order of the day.
While Martyr;’s Day of 1931 is part of history, many more Martyrs Days have been created by Kashmiris through sacrifices of freedom struggle icons e.g Maqbool Butt and Bruhan Wani.
Kashmiri freedom struggle shall continue to against the yoke of Indian brutality and atrocities and Pakistan shall continue to raise the issue in the world while acting as Ambassador of Kashmir cause.
