ISLAMABAD: People of the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir are observing Black Day to protest New Delhi’s oppressive policies in their region, as they try highlight its persistent refusal to recognize their right to self-determination.
The call for the Black Day was issued by All Parties Hurriyat Conference, an alliance of more than two dozen resistance groups in Indian-administered Kashmir, and it coincided by India’s Republic Day which is celebrated annually to honor the moment the country implemented its constitution on January 26, 1950.
While India displays its military might and cultural diversity during the celebrations in New Delhi, there is usually a complete shutter-down strike in Indian-administered Kashmir where residents frequently take out anti-Indian processions and sometimes clash with the security forces.
Last year, India revoked the special constitutional status of Kashmir on August 5 that gave limited autonomy to the region and imposed a strict security lockdown on its residents.
Pakistan strongly protested what it called India’s illegal and unilateral action in Kashmir at all national and international forums, demanding the right to self-determination for the people of Kashmir as promised in the United Nations resolutions.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Brazilian President Jair Messias Bolsonaro as the guest of honor at his country’s biggest national event, people of Indian-administered Kashmir were forcibly confined to their houses by Indian security forces.
