Srinagar: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has urged the inhabitants of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, alongside pro-freedom groups and Kashmiris globally, to commemorate August 5 as “Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir.” This call is a protest against the revocation of the region’s special status by the Indian government.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the decision by the BJP-led administration on August 5, 2019, to nullify Articles 370 and 35A, eliminating the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, has led to widespread unrest and a stringent military response. The region was subsequently divided into two Union Territories on October 31, 2019, intensifying local grievances.
APHC spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas, in a release from Srinagar, has emphasized the importance of observing August 5 as a day of resistance to highlight the Kashmiri opposition to these changes. He stressed the unyielding resolve of the Kashmiri people despite decades of conflict and called for the Indian government to revert its actions, end the military presence, and engage in a dialogue based on UN resolutions aimed at resolving the dispute.