Qaisar Mansoor
It was on 27th October in 1947 when Indian troops in total violation of the spirit of the Partition Plan of the Sub-continent had militarily invaded Jammu and Kashmir and illegally occupied it against the will of the Kashmiri people.
Each year, 27th October is being observed as Black Day by Kashmiris around the world against the illegal occupation by Indian Forces on 27 October 1947.
The sufferings of Kashmiri people commenced with the landing of Indian troops in J&K which have increased manifold after India suspended the special status of IIOJK through revocation of Articles 370 and 35-A of Indian Constitution on 5th August 2019.
On one side India claims to be a secular, inclusive and democratic state; while, the country’s human right record shows a contrast reality. Indian brutalities and state-sponsored crimes against humanity in Kashmir have nailed India on history’s pillar of shame forever. The people of Kashmir never accepted the illegal occupation and started a freedom struggle supported by a public uprising in 1947.
Meanwhile, Indian government approached UN Security Council on 01 January 1948, seeking its help to settle the dispute over Kashmir. Since January 1989 till 2022, Indian troops have martyred more than 95,000 Kashmiris, widowed 22,950 women, orphaned 107,880 children and molested or gang-raped 11,256 Kashmiri women; rape of women being used as a weapon of war to intimidate the Kashmiris into submission.
Over 8,000 innocent youth have been subjected to disappearance in custody and their whereabouts remain untraced. Many of those are feared to be buried in thousands of unmarked graves discovered in the territory after being killed by Indian troops in fake encounters.
More than 340 youths have lost their one or both eyes to pellet injuries while over 1,020 are on the verge of losing their eyesight. Hundreds of people including Hurriyat leaders have been put behind the bars people of Jammu and Kashmir have been enduring relentless violations of privacy and human rights at the hands of Indian occupation forces. Indian armed forces continue to imprison Kashmir’s political leaders, journalists, and human rights activists, Kashmiris’ demand for self-determination keeps growing stronger.
India’s occupation of Kashmir and the various other violations it has inflicted upon Kashmiris, including illegal surveillance, imprisonment, online harassment, and permanent revocation of democratic and legal rights since 5 August 2019.
Kashmiris are eager more than ever to seek freedom. While Indian brutalities have beefed up to suppress Kashmiris, making their lives miserable under a virtual prison.
Currently, India maintains almost 1 million troops in Kashmir, making it the most militarized zone in the world, which have been involved in crimes against humanity.
The nightmare that started on 27 October 1947 has not ended yet for people of Kashmir who are suffering every single day under the occupational forces.
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