Kashmiris on both sides of LoC and across the world observe 27th Oct as Black Day against illegal, unjust and forcible occupation of Kashmir by Indian forces. As per the Partition Plan Hindu majority areas were to be included in India and Muslims majority areas were to be made part of Pakistan. However, on 27th Oct 1947 India landed its troops in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and forcefully invaded the valley which was a sheer violation of the partition plan..
The people of Kashmir did not accept the illegal act of the Indian government and started an arms struggle in 1947. Seeing writing on the wall, the Indian government approached the UN Security Council on 1 Jan 1948 for its intervention. So far more than twelve UN Security Council resolutions on just resolutions of Kashmir issue as per wishes of people have been passed. However, till date India has not honored its own resolution.
During 77 years of occupation, the Indian government has applied all forms of brutal acts, atrocities and barbarism to control the freedom struggle of Kashmiri people but could not break the resolve of Kashmiris. According to the reports of Kashmir media service, since Jan 1989 till 30 September 2024, a total of 96,364 people embraced martyrdom, 107,965 children and 22, 977 woman who lost their fathers and husbands respectively, 172, 135 civilian arrests, 7,362 custodial killings, 11,265 cases of women molestation and destruction of 110,519 infrastructures by Indian security.
The Modi government in its efforts to gain control over the occupied valley revoked Article 370 on 5th Aug 2019. This illegal act resulted in strong resistance from Kashmiris.
Since then, the Indian authorities have been carrying out different tactics like political engineering, demographic marginalization, socio-economic machinations, cultural invasion and last but not the least media curbs to strengthen its grip over IIOJ&K but all their efforts could not get desired results and the resolve for self-determination in Kashmir has remained undiminished.
While the people of Kashmir are grappling with multiple challenges on the economic, and security front which has developed a deep resentment among them. Whereas, the Indian authorities who miserably failed to address grievances of people are in illusion, unaware of ground realities and busy in crafting a narrative of normalcy.
New Delhi must understand that more than seven decades of occupation coupled with all forms of atrocities, heavy militarization couldn’t work for them. Brave people of Kashmir are determined enough to get freedom from illegal occupation.
Defeat of BJP in Kashmir in recent elections is a depiction of strong hatred and rejection of Kashmiris towards the Modi government and its policies.
The peace and prosperity of the entire region is under siege due to the Indian government’s hegemonic designs and Hindutva driven politics.
While a just resolution of the Kashmir issue is a key to the peace and prosperity of the entire region, the people of Kashmir in particular and the region in general are paying the price of the international community’s double standards towards Muslims countries’ issues.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Islamabad
