27 Oct: The blackest day for Kashmiris
OCTOBER 27 is the darkest day in the history of Jammu and Kashmir.
Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and the world over observe it as a Black Day because on this day in 1947 India had forcibly occupied Jammu and Kashmir by landing its army in Srinagar against the will of the Kashmiri people and in total disregard to the Indian Independence Act and Partition Plan.
Under the Indian Independence Act and Partition Plan of 1947, the Indian British Colony was divided into two sovereign states, India – with Hindu-majority areas – and Pakistan – with the Muslim-majority areas of western provinces and East Bengal.
As per the understanding behind the Partition Plan, the then Princely States were free to accede either to Pakistan or India on the basis of their geography and demography.
Muslim majority Jammu and Kashmir was a natural part of Pakistan as both shared strong bonds in respect of religion, geography and culture.
But, unfortunately, the then Hindu ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh, destroyed the future of Kashmiri people by announcing its accession to India under a controversial document, Instrument of Accession, thus laying the foundation of the Kashmir dispute.
Many observers including prominent British historian, Alastair Lamb, and noted Kashmiri researchers, Abdul Majid Zargar and Basharat Hussain Qazilbash, deny the existence of such a document.
Even Indian Archives Department’s announcement that the document is lost has put question marks on its very existence.
The people of Kashmir rejected India’s illegal occupation right from the day one and through an exemplary struggle succeeded in liberating a vast area now known as Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Their resilience forced India to approach the United Nations in January 1948, seeking its help in settling the Kashmir dispute.
The UN Security Council adopted successive resolutions that nullified the Indian occupation and called for resolving the dispute through holding of plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir.
After the failure of all peaceful means to settle the Kashmir dispute, the Kashmiris intensified their struggle in 1989 to get rid of Indian illegal occupation. The people of IIOJK added a new dimension to their freedom movement in 2008.
They hit the streets in thousands during mass uprisings in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2016.
However, most of the time, Indian troops and police personnel used brute force against these peaceful demonstrators, killing hundreds of them.
Since the mass uprising triggered by the extrajudicial killing of popular youth leader, Burhan Wani, on 8th July in 2016, besides killing over 1,480 Kashmiris, the troops have caused injuries to more than 29,840 people by firing pellets, bullets and teargas shells on protesters.
During this period, more than 11,400 people have suffered pellet injuries. Of these pellet victims, 2,000 have been hit in the eyes and around 200 of them have lost their eyesight in one or both eyes.
The people of IIOJK are facing the worst military siege imposed by Narendra Modi-led fascist Indian government after abrogating the special status of the territory on August 05, 2019.
Following this unconstitutional action, the Modi regime, on one hand, has intensified its efforts to impose the Hindutva ideology of extremist Hindu organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in IIOJK, while on the other, it is forcefully implementing its settler colonial plan in the territory to turn the Muslim majority into a minority.
In order to achieve its nefarious objectives, it has imposed several federal laws, introduced new domicile rules in IIOJK and granted domicile status to thousands of non-Kashmiri Hindus, replaced the Muslim names of important places and departments with Hindu names, and is also working on delimitation of Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies in the occupied territory with an aim to give more seats to Hindu-dominated areas of Jammu Division.
The Pakistani leadership, particularly Prime Minister Imran Khan, is continuously sensitizing the world community about the grave situation in IIOJK caused by the illegal and unconstitutional actions taken by Modi regime on and after 05 August 2019 in IIOJK and their ramifications on the regional peace.
It was due to Pakistan’s strenuous efforts that the UNSC held its session on Kashmir thrice – first time after the period of over 50 years.
Now, the Kashmir dispute has become the focus of attention at the global level post August 2019.
As the Kashmiri people’s sufferings started with the landing of Indian troops at Srinagar airport on October 27 in 1947 against their wishes and aspirations, this is why they observe the day as Black Day.
The objective of the observance is to draw attention of the world community towards the miseries of the Kashmiri people due to unresolved Kashmir dispute.
It is also aimed at sending a loud and clear message to India that Kashmiris reject its illegal occupation of their homeland.
Following India’s move of 05 August 2019, the solution of the Kashmir dispute has become more imperative for regional as well as global peace.
— The writer is a Senior News Editor at Kashmir Media Service.
