Senior APHC leader Professor Abdul Ghani Butt has said that while India boasts itself as a democratic republic, Kashmiris have only witnessed oppression from the Indian state over the past more than seven decades.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Professor Butt in a statement issued in Srinagar said that India annually observes January 26 as the “Republic Day,” pointing out that the day signifies the replacement of the Indian Act of 1935 with the Indian Constitution. However, he added that while India took on the facade of a democratic republic, this democratic spirit has never extended to the territory of occupied Jammu and Kashmir. According to Butt, the region has only faced the brutalities at the hands of Indian armed forces.
Furthermore, Professor Butt said that India is not going to tolerate the existence of Kashmiris, indicating an ongoing effort to eradicate their identity. He said that efforts are being made to obliterate a population from existence.
Professor Butt elaborated on the severe restrictions on freedom of expression in the occupied state, describing it as an unprecedented example globally. The plight of prisoners, according to Butt, highlights the lack of justice within the Indian judiciary and elite. The emergence of bodies from prisons is becoming a disturbing norm, indicating the ruthless nature of the Indian oppression against Kashmiris.
Professor Butt concluded his statement by asserting that India’s historical attempts to quash Kashmiri resistance have failed in the past, and he predicts continued failures in the future. He urged India to prioritize the democratic rights of the minority Kashmiri population instead of engaging in a futile display of republicanism.—KMS
