SRINAGAR: Leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and various organizations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) have strongly criticized India’s celebration of Independence Day in the occupied territory as shameful and renewed call for the right to self-determination for Kashmiri people. Labeling India as a brutal aggressor, the APHC leaders assert that India lacks the right to commemorate its Independence Day in the territory it illegally occupies.
In a joint statement issued in Srinagar, APHC leaders Khadim Hussain, Advocate Devinder Singh Bahl, Muhammad Yasin Attai, Maulana Musab Nadvi, and Syed Sibte Shabbir Qummi vehemently expressed their dissent, highlighting India’s perceived role as an aggressor in the region. They underscored that the freedom of Kashmiri Muslims was forcibly taken away by India through coercive means.
The Hurriyat leaders further lamented India’s actions, accusing the nation of seizing lands, houses, and business centers, ultimately resulting in Kashmiri Muslims feeling estranged within their own homeland.
India’s Independence Day Observed as Black Day
Advocate Devinder Singh Bahl, an APHC leader from Jammu and Kashmir Social Peace Forum, echoed these sentiments in a separate statement. He maintained that Kashmiri people consistently observe India’s Independence Day as a black day, marking their vehement opposition to the events that have transpired in the region. He specifically referenced the actions of the Modi government on August 5, 2019, which he deemed as violating the rights of the Kashmiri people and contributing to the alteration of the demographic composition of the occupied territory.
Additionally, other prominent figures within the region, including Hurriyat leaders Muhammad Yasin Attai and Maulana Musab Nadvi, alongside organizations such as the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement, Jammu and Kashmir Pir Panjal Freedom Movement, and Jammu and Kashmir People’s Association, have echoed the sentiment that India should not celebrate its Independence Day within the occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
This collective denouncement serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing discontent within the region and the deeply rooted grievances related to India’s occupation. As Kashmir continues to grapple with complex political dynamics and calls for self-determination persist, the issue remains a subject of global attention and concern.
