Observe 15 August as Black Day: Sallahudin

Nisar Ahmed Thokar

Muzaffarabad, Aug 13: Affirming his full support to APHC (G) Chairman Syed Ali Gilani’s call for observing 15 August (India’s independence day) as Black Day, the Chairman of United Jihad Council Syed Sallah-u-din has said that India had forcibly occupied Kashmir and under the pretext of so-called security the occupation forces in the territory had caused havoc, making peoples’ lives miserable.

“The purpose of observing India’s Independence Day as a Black Day is to express our resentment and anger against India’s illegal occupation besides exposing its ugly face to the world”, the UJC chief said this in a statement issued here on Monday. He made it clear that Kashmiris were not against any country’s freedom; however, he was of the view that it does not auger well for the rulers of an independent nation to usurp the fundamental rights of other nation.

Hizb chief regrettably noted that since 1947 India had killed over half a million Kashmiris just for demanding their right to self-determination. Referring to HR situation he said over the past several years, extra-judicial killings, molestation of women, arbitrary detention and forcible disappearances and human rights violations have been rampant in the valley.  “ Since five Lack Kashmiris have been killed, hundred and thousands of Kashmiri women were molested, over 16 thousand people went to missing and thousands of mass and unnamed graves have been discovered in Jammu and Kashmir”, he said adding that celebrating independence day after committing human rights violations at such a large scale is a profanation of freedom on the part of India.

The UJC chief also decried International community’s apathy towards Kashmir and Kashmiris saying that the criminal negligence on the part of world community was highly condemnable. Lauding Kashmiris’ sacrifices and particularity the role of “militants” who were engaged in the field, Sallahudin assured the Kashmiri people that the struggle would remain continue at all fronts unless and until the people of Kashmir achieve their cherished goal. He said that the UJC and the heirs of Kashmiri martyrs would make all out efforts to lead the movement to its logical conclusion. He expressed the hope that the day was not far when Kashmiris would get rid of what he called the Indian subjugation.