The Jammu Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) has called on residents in Indian-administered Kashmir to observe August 15, India’s Independence Day, as a Black Day across the territory, according to the Kashmir Media Service and reports carried by UrduPoint. The call aims to protest ongoing human rights violations and a lack of political self-determination in the region.
DFP Demands Self-Determination and Rejects Coercion
DFP spokesman Advocate Arshad Iqbal stated that India cannot subjugate the Kashmiri people through force, arrests, restrictions, and the demolition of homes, according to UrduPoint. Iqbal emphasized that the struggle for the right to self-determination cannot be suppressed through coercion. He maintained that India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, made commitments to the people of Jammu and Kashmir regarding their political future that must be honored.
The DFP statement highlights that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is internationally recognized and must be resolved according to United Nations resolutions and the aspirations of the local population. Iqbal urged New Delhi to abandon its policy of force and provide Kashmiris with the political freedom required to decide their future democratically, warning that repressive measures only deepen local alienation.
Global Protests and Differing International Stances
Alongside the call for local observance, the DFP appealed to Kashmiris worldwide to record peaceful protests on August 15 using black flags to signal to the international community that they will not surrender their right to self-determination, as reported by UrduPoint and KMS News.
Earlier in August, Pakistan and Kashmiri diaspora groups observed “Youm-e-Istehsal” to mark the anniversary of India’s 2019 revocation of Article 370, which stripped the region of its special autonomous status. Rallies took place in areas like Sindh and internationally in countries such as France, where demonstrators protested the constitutional changes. Conversely, Indian authorities and media outlets, including The Times of India, have rejected these events as orchestrated spectacles, maintaining that the integration of Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter aimed at bringing development and stability to the region.
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