Hundreds Gather at Times Square to Commemorate Kashmir Martyrs Day
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, on July 13, 2021to commemorate the 90 th anniversary of the ‘Martyrs Day’. Hundreds of people attended the protest which was organized by the 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 the 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 it 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 the Modi Regime in line with Nazi Germany is persecuting minorities in India. The Indian State has declared an ‘All Out War’ against Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir and Nagaland states where Sikhs, Muslims and Christians are in the majority. We all should ‘hang together’ rather than being hanged separately. The right of self- determination is ‘the only solution’ for our survival. Freedom of Khalistan and Kashmir is imperative and inevitable.
Ariful Haq Arif, one of the senior most journalists of Pakistan 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 dispute demands that the Kashmiri leadership must be a part of the 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 until total and complete freedom is achieved. He demanded the unconditional release of all political prisoners, including Masarat Alam.
Sardar Sajid Sawar said the Kashmir issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible for the sake of international peace and security. As 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, as it were the people of Kashmir who have the right to determine their political future.
Khalid Awan, President of Peoples Party USA, urged the 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.
Others who spoke included: Sardar Taj Khan, Sardar Zarif Khan, Sardar Shoaib Irshad, Sardar Niaz Khan, Azad Shah, Umar Hayat, Yasir Maqsood, Waseem Maqsood, Sardar Mushtaq, Sardar Habib-ur-Rehman, Sardar Zubair Khan, Muhammad Hussain, Ms. Rubina,Ms. Abida Baji, Raja Razzak, Hurriya Waqar,
Sardar Farooq,Advocate, Sardar Imtiaz Khan Garalavi, 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. - gnfai2003@yahoo.com
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