Srinagar, Posters have been appearing across Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir urging the local populace to observe India’s Republic Day on January 26 as a ‘Black Day’. These posters, displayed in various areas including Srinagar, call for a boycott of all official celebrations organized by India in the region.

According to Kashmir Media Service, these posters have been put up by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference and several pro-freedom organizations. The posters state that India lacks legal and moral grounds to celebrate Republic Day in Jammu and Kashmir due to its alleged illegal occupation of the territory against the will of the Kashmiri people. The posters have been surfacing over the past week in different parts of the region.

The content of these posters labels the Indian Republic Day celebrations in the region as a cruel joke, conveying a message of rejection of India’s occupation from the Kashmiri people. The posters call for a strike and the hoisting of black flags on January 26 to symbolize the day as a Black Day for them, rather than a celebration.

These posters, which are also being circulated on social media, urge the people to hold special prayers for the Kashmiri martyrs on the anniversaries of the Handwara and Kupwara massacres. The Handwara massacre, which occurred on January 25, 1990, resulted in the deaths of at least 21 Kashmiris and injuries to many others when Indian troops opened fire on peaceful protesters. Similarly, the Kupwara massacre on January 27, 1994, saw the killing of 27 innocent Kashmiris and the wounding of several others by Indian troops, in response to a shutdown observed on the previous Republic Day.

These posters reflect the ongoing discontent and resistance within the Kashmiri population towards Indian governance in the region, particularly on symbolic days like the Republic Day.