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NEW YORK, (MANEND NEWS): 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
- 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 United Nations 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. Ghulam Nabi 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.
Dr. Imtiaz Khan, Professor at George Washington University Medical
Center said that today we have gathered to commemorate the
martyrdom of 21 innocent Kashmiris. The atrocities on the peace
loving people of that region are continuing unabated. Thousands of
women have been gang raped, not to talk of mass graves and children
who been blinded by pellet gun wounds.
Dr. Khan added that the only solution to all major problems in the
region lies in the peaceful resolution of Kashmir. And that bilateral
talks between the two nations have never taken off and direct
involvement of USA is needed if they are serious to achieve tangible
results.
Dr. Amerjit Singh, President, Khalistan Affair Center said, Modi Regime
in line with Nazi Germany is persecuting minorities in India. Indian
State has declared an ‘All Out War’ against Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir
and Nagaland states where Sikhs, Muslims & Christians are in Majority.
We all should ‘hang together’ rather than being hanged separately.
Right of Self- Determination is ‘The Only Solution’ for our survival.
Freedom of Khalistan and Kashmir is imperative & inevitable.
Ariful Haq Arif, one of the senior most journalists of Pakistan and who
originally hails from Kashmir said that it was a colonial power – Great
Britain who created the problem of Kashmir. He believed that it could
be the sole super power – the United States – which has the leverage
to impress upon India to give the people of Kashmir the right to self-
determination.
Sardar Haleem Khan, leader of JKLF said that the mantle of the
freedom struggle of Kashmir has been successfully passed on to the
younger generation and they are resolute and determined to take it to
its logical conclusion. The people of Kashmir have made it clear that
the final solution of the Kashmir disputes demands that Kashmiri
leadership must be the part of negotiations with India and Pakistan.
He appealed to the world leaders to persuade India to release
Mohammad Yasin Malik who is the symbol of independence in Jammu
& Kashmir.
Saleem Qadri, representative of Masarat Alam said that Kashmiris are
determined to press on with the resistance movement to Indian
occupation and settler-colonialism until a total and complete freedom
is achieved. He demanded the unconditional release of all political
prisoners including Masarat Alam.
Sardar Sajid Sawar said Kashmir issue need to be resolved as soon as
possible for the sake of international peace and security. As the
citizens of the digital world, we demand from all peace loving countries
to come forward and support our Cause.
Amna Habib said Kashmiris want peace but peace with dignity and
honor. No country whatsoever has the right to decide the fate of
Kashmir, saying that it were the people of Kashmir who were granted
the right to determine the political future.
Khalid Awan, President of Peoples Party USA urged Biden
administration to place Kashmir on its radar screen as India and
Pakistan are nuclear-armed. He said that Kashmir has a special place
in the manifesto of the Pakistan Peoples Party and the issue cannot be
ignored by the people of Pakistan.
Sardar Taj Khan, and Sardar Zarif Khan, main organizers of the event
said that the suffering and misery of the Kashmiri people continues
each day a peaceful resolution is deferred. They appreciated the
contribution of the Pakistani American community who always stood by
the side of Kashmir’s demand for a plebiscite.
Sardar Shoaib Irshad said, while India, initially, explicitly accepted the
Security Council resolutions mandating a free and impartial plebiscite
in Kashmir under the auspices of the United Nations, it soon reneged
on its own obligation realizing that the people of Kashmir would vote
against India in an unfettered plebiscite.
Sardar Niaz Khan said the people of Kashmir have suffered long and
needlessly because of this brutal conflict. The people of Kashmir
deserve peace. Peace in the region of South Asia would remain elusive
until the Kashmir dispute is resolved.
Sardar Zubair Khan emphasized that the brutalities of Indian
government cannot and should not go unnoticed. It is the
responsibility of the Kashmiri diaspora to be the voice of voiceless
people in the corridors of powers all over the world.
Muhammad Hussain, Co-Chairman of the All Pakistani American
Coalition (APAC) expressed his unconditional moral, political and
diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir for a just and peaceful
solution to the long-standing dispute.
Ms. Rubina said that the killings of innocent civilians in Indian occupied
Kashmir must shake the conscience of all peace-loving people. She
condemned the efforts to muzzle the press and called for restoring the
right to assemble and freedom of expression in Indian occupied
Kashmir
Ms. Abida Baji, social worker said that it was their duty to support the
people of Kashmir who are struggling for their right to self-
determination. Our objective is to draw the attention of the world
powers to the situation in Kashmir and to exert pressure on the
government of India and to resolve dispute over Kashmir and help
stop human right violations in Indian occupied Kashmir.
Raja Razzak said despite claiming to be the largest democracy, India’s
policy towards Kashmir has been uniformly colonial, brutal, deceitful
and undemocratic.
Hurriya Waqar, high school student said that we stand shoulder to
shoulder with our Kashmiri brethren. She said that a just and lasting
settlement of the dispute is possible only through negotiations of all
parties concerned, i.e., the genuine leadership of the state of Jammu
and Kashmir, Governments of India and Pakistan under direct
supervision of the United Nations.”
Sardar Farooq said that Kashmir is one of the oldest issues pending on
the agenda of the UN Security Council which demands immediate
implementation.
Advocate, Sardar Imtiaz Khan Garalavi, the emcee of the event hoped
that the United States and the international community will realize that
what is at stake in the dispute is not only the survival of the people of
Kashmir but also the peace and stability in the region of South Asia.
He appealed to the international community to use its diplomatic,
moral and economic leverage with India to fulfill its commitment of
the right of self-determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir
according to the United Nations Security Council Resolutions of 1948
and 1949.
Others who spoke included: Azad Shah, Umar Hayat, Yasir Maqsood,
Waseem Maqsood, Sardar Mushtaq, Sardar Habib-ur-Rehman, Daud
Maqsood, Zafar Haqani, Mahmood Akber, Irfan Mir, Umer Hayat, Azad
Gilani, Mohammad Azim, Yasir Maqsood, Nasim Maqsood, Abdullah
khan, Sultan khan, Habib, Shabaz Sayed, Bagim Star, Farooq Blooch,
Auringzab, Ishtaq Raja.