Srinagar: As Kashmir approaches another October 27 - the day Indian troops first landed in Srinagar in 1947 - the date continues to serve as a painful reminder of India's illegal occupation and the ongoing suffering of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
A new article released on the eve of the day has described October 27, 1947, as 'an ominous moment forever etched in the collective memory of the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).' It was on this day, the article noted, that Indian forces forcibly descended upon Srinagar without any legal justification, marking the beginning of a decades-long cycle of occupation, repression, and human rights abuses.
The piece further observed that India has used religious aggression and political coercion as tools to suppress the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination. It recalled how in 2019, the Indian government revoked Article 370 of its own constitution - stripping the region of its special status - and imposed one of the longest curfews in modern history, coupled with communication blackouts and mass detentions to silence dissent.
'This aggression not only caused immense human suffering but also led to the desecration of historic Muslim sites, representing a gross violation of cultural and religious rights,' the article noted.
It added that every aspect of Muslim life in the occupied territory is under assault by the RSS-backed Modi regime, which is attempting to erase all symbols of Muslim identity from IIOJK through administrative, demographic, and cultural re-engineering.
The analysis stated that India's actions in Kashmir mirror Israeli settler colonial policies in occupied Palestine, involving the replacement of the native population with non-local settlers, manipulation of electoral boundaries, and the imposition of repressive security laws to maintain control.
Reports of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, torture, and enforced disappearances by Indian forces continue to emerge regularly, painting a grim picture of life under occupation.
The article concluded that while India's illegal occupation and policies aim to impose Hindutva ideology in IIOJK, they have only strengthened the resolve of Kashmiri Muslims to continue their peaceful struggle for freedom and self-determination.
'Every measure to erase Kashmir's Muslim identity will ultimately fail. The will of the people cannot be subdued by force,' the piece asserted.