Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control will observe India’s Republic Day as Black Day today (Thursday) to remind the international community that India’s continued denial of Kashmiris’ right of self-determination was contrary to its tall claims of being a democratic republic.
The day will be marked with complete shutdown in Indian-held Kashmir with all business establishments, offices, banks and courts being closed, while traffic will remain off the road, KMS reported.
The call for the observance of the day has been given by the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference, the High
Court Bar Association, veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader Syed Ali Gilani and JKLF Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik.
Syed Ali Gilani, in his statement, said then Indian prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had committed to the Kashmiris that the Indian army would be withdrawn from the occupied territory and the people of Kashmir would be given the opportunity to decide their future themselves.
Senior APHC leader, Shabbir Ahmad Shah said that the Indian army and police had unleashed a wave of state terrorism to force the people to participate in the India’s Republic Day celebrations.
He maintained that India wanted to hoodwink the world into believing that the people were not against the Indian occupation of Kashmir.
In New York, the Human Rights Watch in its World Report 2012 said India had failed to repeal the widely discredited Armed Forces Special Powers Act in occupied Kashmir and to hold human rights violators accountable during 2011.