‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’
– Martin Luther King Jr
The justice delayed is justice denied and we witness this every day! The 27 October Black Day is recognized as bleak Day, a somber reminder of the justice that has long been withheld. This year, 2024, will mark the 76th anniversary of this infamous day in 1947, when Indian troops landed in Kashmir, and initiated an era of occupation and oppression that is still going on to this very day. We celebrate the 27 October Black Day to protest ongoing human rights violations and to remind the global community of the unresolved Kashmir dispute.
In Indian-occupied Kashmir, the situation remains dire. Every year hundreds of Kashmiris go missing, and many families suffer killings. The region is not allowed to voice out against the oppression as the Indian government has restricted worldwide communications under a virtual siege. This is not just the end, Article 370 which came into action in August 2019, and granted special autonomy to the region. It further exacerbated the situation, The article granted Kashmir autonomy of internal administration, allowing it to make its own laws in all matters except finance, defense, foreign affairs, and communications.
This move (27 October Black Day), met with widespread condemnation locally and internationally, stripped Kashmir of its autonomous status, integrating it more firmly into the Indian Union. Since then, the human rights situation in the valley has deteriorated significantly, with increased militarization and brutal crackdowns on dissent. According to human rights organizations, the Kashmiris suffer Arbitrary Arrests, Torture and Inhumane Treatment, Suppression of Free Speech and Severe Impact on Daily Life
As a Pakistani nation, we wonder: where are all the voices of human rights and feminist movements now? Where are the champions of justice? In today’s world, justice has become entangled with political agendas, often leaving the oppressed without a voice.
As we observe Black Day 2024, it is a reminder for all that we have not forgotten the suffering of the Kashmiri people and we will continue to raise our voices against injustice. It is the responsibility of the global community to stand in solidarity with Kashmir and ensure Kashmiri people that they will for sure receive the status they are worthy of!
May we remain alive to see the day when Kashmir is free, when justice prevails, and when the cries of the oppressed are finally heard. May we witness a future when the tomorrow of justice appears in the beautiful valley of Kashmir!