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Vigil marking 72nd anniversary of Black Day for Kashmir
10-30-2019
On October 27, 2019 a vigil to commemorate the Black Day for Kashmir was held at Holland Park. The Kashmiri community and their supporters gathered in the evening for this candlelight vigil. Various community members spoke including Gurpreet Singh and Annie Ohana.
The main points brought up were:
1. October 27, 1947 marks the ill-fated day when the Indian military subjugated the state of Jammu and Kashmir against the will of its people. “Black Day” which is also called as “Kashmir Black Day is observed every October 27 to mark the illegal incursion into the Valley of Kashmir by India on October 27, 1947.
2. On August 5, the Indian government unilaterally scrapped two related special provisions in the Indian constitution, Article 370 and Article 35A. Article 370 granted Kashmir autonomy over most of its administrative affairs. Article 35A ensured that only “permanent residents” of the state of Jammu and Kashmir had the right to buy and own property there. This action by the government of India has stripped the Indigenous people of Kashmir of their rights, jeopardized Kashmir’s right to self-determination and escalated the likelihood of violence inflicted by the Indian military’s mobilization. It has also endangered Kashmir’s demography and its fragile ecology.
3. The Indian military is seen as an occupying force by Kashmiris and its soldiers are protected by laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act that allow them to perpetrate human rights abuses without consequence. These human rights violations have been well documented by local Kashmiri organizations and international human rights watchdogs like the UN Human Rights Office.
4. Under the false pretext of national security, the Indian government deployed 40,000 armed soldiers to join the 700,000 military personnel permanently stationed in Jammu and Kashmir, which is internationally recognized as a disputed region.
5. In Canada we must do everything we can to raise this issue and call upon the Canadian government to speak up and take action for Human Rights.
There is much more that needs to be done. Plans are being made for the next phase of this campaign. If you are interested in being part of this effort on a personal level or with your organization you can contact Furquan Gehlen at furquan@worldbeyondwar.org or call/text at 604-603-8741.
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