Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and the world over are observing Black Day, today, the 27th October to express resentment and anger over India’s illegal and forcible control over the territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is worth to mention here that it was on this day in 1947 when Indian troops invaded Jammu and Kashmir and occupied 1/3rd of the territory in total violation of the Partition Plan of the Subcontinent and against the will of Kashmiri people. Interestingly, it was India, which took the Kashmir dispute to the United Nations way back in 1948. On 13 August 1948, the highest body passed a historic resolution on Jammu and Kashmir, granting right of self-determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The resolution clearly stated that the future status of the state will be decided in accordance with the will of the people through a free, fair and impartial plebiscite. 70 years down the line Kashmiris have not been allowed to exercise this fundamental right, which was guaranteed to them not only by the UN but also the leadership of India and Pakistan. The UN had proposed a comprehensive road map, which besides establishing United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) suggested a series of steps to be taken to find a solution to the dispute agreeable to both the states. After acceptance of truce agreement the governments of India and Pakistan respectively agreed to enter into consultations with the commission to determine fair and equitable conditions to hold plebiscite in the territory. But, quite surprisingly, there was a sudden change in Indian mindset, which eventually forced the country and its leadership to backtrack from its commitments made with the international community as well as the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Being fearful of not getting a favourable outcome from a referendum in Kashmir Indian leadership thereafter resorted to dilly dallying tactics and machiavellian machinations to avert referendum besides suppressing the voice of dissent in the region. But India’s outright denial of not granting Kashmiris’ their promised right has pushed the entire south Asian region into a quagmire of uncertainty. The unresolved dispute of Kashmir is a looming threat to peace and security in the region. Besides bedeviling relations between the two countries, the lingering dispute poses a serious and perpetual threats to the lives of millions of Kashmiris who happen to be the worst victim of the deadly conflict. Since the long-pending dispute is cause and consequence of massive human rights violations and unrest in the disputed territory it is therefore imperative that the peace loving nations across the globe should play their much needed role to help resolve this issue once and for all so that peace can prevail in the region. While the people of Kashmir on both sides of the dividing line (LoC) and the world over are observing Black Day to mark their protest and indignation against India’s illegal occupation of their motherland one hopes that their pleas for an early and peaceful settlement of dispute do not fall on deaf ears.
