DM Monitoring
NEW YORK: In recognition of all those who have laid down their lives so that the people of Kashmir may live with their heads held high, a peaceful protest took place at historic Times Square, New York to commemorate that 90th anniversary of the ‘Martyrs Day’. Hundreds of people attended the protest which was organized by Washington-based World Kashmir Awareness Forum (WKAF).
Dr. Ghulam Nabi Mir, President WKAF said on July 13, Kashmiris around the world are honoring the martyrs of the first massacre of Kashmiri Muslims in Srinagar in a political uprising that took place in 1931. Indian invasion and occupation of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947 has led to over 100, 000 deaths of innocent Kashmiris and massive human rights violations and long jail sentences.
“Kashmiris are demanding to exercise their right to self-determination as mandated by the UN Security Council. We ask the people of the world to stand up and speak up for the freedom of Kashmir. Our appeal to Biden Administration is to seriously engage India, Pakistan and legitimate representatives of Kashmir in a results-oriented peaceful resolution of this most serious conflict of the world,” Dr. Mir added.
Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary General, WKAF, commenting on the tragic day, stated “It was on July 13, 1931, that the foreign occupying Dogra troops shot dead 22 Kashmiris, in cold blood, in front of Srinagar Central Jail.’ Since that ominous day, Kashmiris have organized peaceful protests, seminars and conferences throughout the world. July 13th is forever scarred in the collective minds of the people of Kashmir as the day when the freedom movement was greeted with bullets.” Now, ‘Martyrs Day’ memorializes all those innocent victims, who have been forcibly silenced since 1989 by the Indian military and paramilitary forces.
Dr. Fai added that the desire for self-determination is the one very big “element” India should be concerned about, yet continues to pretend to the world that it does not exist. However long India refuses to acknowledge it, the decades-old movement in Kashmir will not simply die out.
