Altaf Hamid Rao.
MIRPUR [AJK],(Parliament Times): “27th of October reminds us of the day when Indian soldiers first landed in Jammu and Kashmir and occupied it against the wishes of the local people. Since then, marking black days became part of a people memory and a permanent fixture”, said Ershad Mahmud, Director General Kashmir Libertion Cell of Azad Govt. of the State of Jammu Kashmir.
“Therefore, the people of Jammu and Kashmir on both sides of the Line of Control and all over the world has always been observing October 27 as a Black Day to denounce the occupation”, he added in an exclusive interview to Daily Parliament Times here on Wednesday on the eve of the black day, the people of Jammu and Kashmir or observing to protest against the illegal and forced occupation of bulk part of Jammu and Kashmir by India since 74 years ago this black day of October 27, 1947.
The DG KLC continued that this day every year, the people of Kashmir reaffirm their resolve to continue their struggle till they attain the right of self-determination as pledged by the several United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Ershad Mehmud , also central Secretary Information of Pakistan Tehreeek e Insaaf [AJK Chapter] , underlined that the entire world was well aware that the Kashmir dispute is one of the long outstanding issues on the agenda of the UN Security Council.
Ershad said that the abrogation of article 370 and 35 A of the Indian Constitution on August 5th in 2019 has changed ground realities and exposed India’s sinister intentions towards internationally acknowledged disputed Jammu Kashmir state.
The people of Kashmir witnessed history’s longest ever e-curfew which means life without the internet, e said adding that since then IIOJK has been converted into an open prison.
He further said that Kashmiris, particularly in the Kashmir valley, cutting across the political divide felt betrayed and humiliated. “This action is considered an existential threat that compelled people and leadership to pitch a strong resistance”, he added.
“Fear is that if BJP Government succeeds in Kashmir, consequently further disempower the people of the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Demography change, installation of a Hindu Chief Minister in a Muslim majority disputed state is part of its [New Delhi] nefarious political game plan”, Kashmir, he continued is the most heavily militarized zone in the world. Constant repression is an old saga in Kashmir. The Indian security apparatus have used the most brutal methods, from torture to killings, to crush the spirit of the Kashmiri people. The level of brutality and coercion is breaking all previous records nowadays”, Ershad said. I must warn India that brute force, no matter how strongly applied has a consequence and can never subdue the basic human desire for freedom. I am sure that freedom is not a distant goal that the people of Kashmir seek, time is not far when people of Kashmir will celebrate freedom and live a normal life, where fear will have no place.
The Director General Kashmir Liberation Cell further said that ceasefire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir should have been followed by some political steps. So far ceasefire sustained by it might not last long if required steps are not taken. “The recent developments indicated that the back-channel conversations or third party mediation efforts cannot deter Modi Government from pursuing its ideological agenda towards Kashmir”, he observed.
Commenting on fast deteriorating situation in the internationally acknowledged disputed Himalayan State, Ershad said “it appears that Kashmir is inching towards another round of full-scale confrontation in the days to come. It is naïve to think that Kashmir is a close chapter. If it remains unresolved for a long time, it might take a dangerous turn and become more complicated to be resolved”, he concluded.