Mohammad Jamil
Indian media has initiated propaganda campaign alleging that while the incoming prime minister Imran Khan is talking about friendship with New Delhi, ISI is drawing up elaborate plans to embarrass India during 71st Independence Day function in London. It went on to state: “ISI is using Khalistan groups to further its agenda.” During last year Independence Day celebrations, there were more than 2 dozen protests across Europe, US and other countries from Sikh, Kashmiri and Naxalite communities as a result of Indian atrocities and injustice across the country. India has to understand that such protests are not ISI-sponsored but an outcome of their flawed policies against the minorities. In fact, every year, Kashmiris inhabiting both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) observe India’s Independence Day on 15th August as black day for denying Kashmiris right to self-determination as per UNSC resolutions.
This year also Kashmiris have announced programs to observe Black Day on India’s Independence Day on August 15 to apprise the world of the continued Indian atrocities unleashed against the people in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). The observance of the Indian Independence Day as Black Day is also aimed at expressing extreme indignation and hatred against the Indian imperialism for forcibly keeping major part of the state in her unlawful and forcible occupation since last 71 years, organisers said. “Anti-India rallies followed by protest demonstrations in all small and major cities and towns at both sides of the LoC will be hallmark of the day”, National Events Organising Committee Mirpur District sources told this APP Correspondent on Thursday. Participants of the protest rallies will wear black bands around their arms, and black flags will be hoisted atop the buildings by the protesting Kashmiris at both sides of the LoC.
The rallies and protest demonstrations will be staged in all small and major cities, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) capital Muzaffarabad and all other nine district headquarters of Mirpur, Kotli, Bagh, Bhimbher, Palandri, Rawalakot, Haveli, Jhelum Valley and Neelam valley. In Mirpur, a major protest rally is being held at the District Courts premises today at 10:00 a.m. under the auspices of the National Events Organising Committee with the coordination of various public representative organisations representing the people of all walks of life. They wish to invite the attention of international community towards continued Indian atrocities unleashed against the people in occupied Kashmir fighting for their liberation from the Indian rule. Anti-India rallies followed by protest demonstrations in all small and major cities and towns at both sides of the LoC, are hallmark of the day.
Kashmiris have suffered death and destruction unparalleled in the recent history. They have witnessed 94,140 martyrdoms of innocent Kashmiris including 7,026 in custody, while 10,129 women were raped and 107,509 children rendered orphans since Indian occupation in Kashmir. However, big powers have done nothing to stop India from its heinous acts because they consider India as a big market. But they will not do it because only when public protest fits into the geopolitical designs of the US and the West that they declare it a popular movement and honour it with the award of a colour label. The orange revolution of Ukraine, the rose revolution of Georgia, the cidar revolution of Lebanon and much earlier velvet revolution of Czechoslovakia would pale before the Kashmiris’ movement for their freedom, yet they were given colours by the colour-blind big powers. It has to be mentioned that in none of the above cases was there a UN mandate to back them, whereas Kashmiris have been given their inalienable right of self-determination by the UN on 5th January 1949. International community should help resolve the Kashmir issue because tension between the two nuclear states would not only make the environment perilous for the region but also for the world at large. It is unfortunate that more than seventy years have elapsed but international community continues to show apathy and indifference towards sufferings of Kashmiris. Big powers do not impress upon India to implement the United Nations Security Resolutions that have bestowed on Kashmiris the right to self-determination. Even those countries that had in the past supported Pakistan’s genuine stance now suggest that India and Pakistan should resolve the Kashmir dispute through bilateral negotiations.
They do not realize that many rounds of dialogue have taken place including the stalled composite dialogue, which was initiated in 2004, but to no avail. India takes the plea that according to Tashkant Declaration and Simla Accord both countries are obliged to resolve the issue through bilateral negotiations. India should bear in mind that the Kashmir dispute is pending in the UN, and if the dispute is not resolved within a ‘reasonable’ period of time, Pakistan can approach the UN with the demand to play its role and make arrangements to hold plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir as per United Nations Security Council resolution.
