SRINAGAR: On January 5th, Kashmiris across both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and worldwide will observe the Right to Self-Determination Day, reaffirming their commitment to the ongoing struggle until the internationally-recognized inalienable right is achieved. The call for the observance has been made by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference.
Activities marking the day include protest demonstrations, rallies, seminars, and conferences in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan, and major capitals worldwide. The objective is to remind the United Nations (UN) to implement its relevant resolutions and address the Kashmir dispute, thereby protecting Kashmiris from Indian brutalities.
The significance of January 5th dates back to 1949 when the UN Security Council passed a resolution supporting the Kashmiris’ right to determine their future through a UN-supervised plebiscite. Despite this resolution forming the basis for a settlement, India’s unyielding stance has hindered progress, and the UN’s failure to implement its resolutions has prolonged the sufferings of the Kashmiri people.
The principles established in the communications between India, Pakistan, and the UNCIP (United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan) on Kashmir in December 1948, supplement the Commission’s Resolution of August 13, 1948. Despite unanimous adoption on January 5, 1949, by the UNCIP, the resolutions of August 13, 1948, and January 5, 1949, have seen limited concrete steps for implementation over seven decades.
The situation in occupied Kashmir worsened after August 5, 2019, when the Indian government, led by Narendra Modi, revoked the special status of the territory, curtailing the basic rights and freedoms of the Kashmiri people. Numerous Kashmiris, including leaders like Masarrat Aalam Butt, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Aasiya Andrabi, and Nayeem Ahmed Khan, remain incarcerated in Indian jails, while others endure hardships due to Indian atrocities in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Despite the passage of decades, the UN’s resolutions remain unimplemented, and the Kashmiri people continue to face challenges in their quest for self-determination, contrasting with instances like East Timor and South Sudan, where plebiscites led to freedom.
