SRINAGAR: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), posters have surfaced, calling on the local populace to honor the martyrs of the Gaw Kadal, Handwara, and Kupwara massacres.
These events marked dark chapters in the region’s history, characterized by brutal actions carried out by Indian forces against innocent civilians.
The Gaw Kadal massacre unfolded on January 21, 1990, in Srinagar, where over 50 people lost their lives. Indian forces opened indiscriminate fire on peaceful demonstrators protesting the molestation of women by troops the previous night. Another tragic incident occurred on January 25, 1990, in Handwara, where at least 21 Kashmiris were gunned down by Indian troops. Subsequently, on January 27, 1994, a day after India’s Republic Day, Indian forces massacred 27 civilians in Kupwara town as a punitive measure for the population’s observance of a shutdown on January 26.
The posters, strategically placed on pillars, poles, and walls across various areas in the territory, also called for observing India’s Republic Day on January 26 as a Black Day. The objective is to register a collective protest against India’s forcible occupation of their homeland. Describing the Republic Day celebrations in IIOJK as a cruel irony, the posters conveyed a resounding message from the people of Kashmir – a consistent rejection of India’s illegal occupation.
Shared on social media platforms, the posters further urged the public to offer special prayers for the Kashmiri martyrs on the anniversaries of these massacres. The emergence of these posters reflects the ongoing resistance and remembrance efforts within IIOJK, with the local population continuing to assert their rights and voice against historical injustices.
