Islamabad: Altaf Ahmed Bhat, a senior Kashmiri leader and the head of the Jammu Kashmir Salvation Movement, is adamantly against India’s Republic Day festivities in Jammu and Kashmir, which it has unjustly seized.
The people of Jammu and Kashmir have categorically rejected India’s Republic Day celebrations, according to a statement released in Islamabad today by senior Kashmiri politician Altaf Ahmed Bhat. Bhat cited India’s noncompliance with UN Security Council resolutions regarding the Kashmir dispute. He emphasized his support for his fellow Kashmiris’ unwavering quest for freedom, which the UN has recognized as a fundamental right under the concept of self-determination.
Bhat denounced India for influencing the world community’s impression of the reality on the ground in the occupied region by reportedly utilizing military and police force to force participation in Republic Day celebrations.
He expressed concerns about the acts of the Indian government, calling it a “racist regime” that targets pro-freedom groups, kills people on a daily basis, outlaws Islamic educational institutions, and seizes Kashmiris’ ancestral assets.
Bhat described India’s Republic Day as little more than a Black Day in Kashmir, voicing strong concerns over the firing of Muslim workers, the persecution of children and young people, and the significant military presence in the area. He called attention to the significant military presence, pointing out that over a million soldiers have been stationed in the area for more than 70 years, constantly patrolling the disputed territory.
Echoing the views of Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control, Bhat advocated for the marking of India’s Republic Day as a Black Day in light of the increased restrictions in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He opposed the heavy deployment of troops, paramilitary, and Special Operation Group personnel in Srinagar and other places to quell anti-India protest movements, and he condemned the reported harassment by Indian authorities in the name of security.
He denounced the severe actions done by Indian authorities, such as frisking, house raids, cordon and search operations, security checks, and arbitrary searches. Bhat highlighted the repressive atmosphere designed to stifle pro-freedom and anti-Indian actions, and he expressed unity with the young people of Kashmir who were being called to police stations and Tehsildar offices on a daily basis.
In order to address the human rights issues and guarantee a peaceful and just future for the region, Altaf Ahmed Bhat urged the international community to acknowledge the suffering of the Kashmiri people and called for a fair resolution to the protracted Kashmir dispute.
