Despite passage of more than seven decades, the situation in IIOJK remains tense. The human rights violations in the occupied territory have only worsened lately, with a fresh wave of state-sponsored terror and oppression marked by curfews, blackouts and media curbs unleashed through the lndian occupation force.
The illegal and unilateral steps of 5th August 2019 have further emboldened the Indian government, which has introduced unlawful and excessive measures to affect demographic changes in IIOJK in order to marginalize the Kashmiris in their own homeland and facilitate settlement of non-Kashmiris in the territory to obliterate the distinct Kashmiri identity.
Kashmir Black Day will have special significance this year because of the discernible upsurge in Indian atrocities in IIOJK. To this day, the true Kashmiri leadership remains in illegal Indian incarceration under trumped-up charges Yasin Malik — the iconic Kashmiri leader has been sentenced on a contrived and fallacious case and is facing trials in two other false cases; Altaf Ahrned Shah — son in law of Syed Ah Geelani has tragically embraced custodial death while braving cancer and brutality in Indian custody; extra-judicial killings have claimed at least 172 lives this year alone; enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and staged “cordon-and- search” operations continue. Most ominously, so-called ‘delimitation’ of electoral constituencies has taken course in the IIOJK ,the Indian government’s bid to effectuate the illegal demographic changes in the occupied territory.
Meanwhile, India is making incessant attempts to project a false sense of ‘normalcy” in the disputed territory through cleverly choreographed visits of the Indian leadership and launch of the so-called ‘development projects’. These Indian actions are in blatant violation of international law, relevant UNSC resolutions and the 4th Geneva convention, The Jammu and Kashmir dispute is internationally recognized and no unilateral action by the Indian government can either alter the disputed status of the territory or prejudice and legitimate right to self determination of the kashmiri people.
