Kashmir remains shut to protest landing of Indian army in 1947
The Indian army landed in Srinagar on October 27, 71 years ago to push back intruders from Pakistan who went about plundering Kashmiri villages
Kashmir was completely shut down on Friday to protest the anniversary of the Indian army’s arrival in the Valley in 1947, a day separatist leaders described in their statement as “black day and the day of mourning for the Kashmiris”.
Streets remained deserted with minimum traffic and shops, educational institutes and business establishments were closed.
Restrictions under section 144 of CrPC were enforced in areas under seven police stations of Srinagar city, while more sensitive localities saw deployment of paramilitary reinforcements.
Local railway services also stood suspended as a precautionary measure.
On October 27, 1947, soldiers of the Indian army landed in Srinagar to ostensibly save the people from the wrath of raiding tribesmen from Pakistan.
An official handle of the Indian army tweeted: “70th #Infantryday, On this day in 1947, 1st SIKH REGT landed in Srinagar to evict Pak intruders from Kashmir and reversed the tide of battle.”
Senior superintendent of police of Baramulla district — the first area where raiders reached and started the plunder — Imtiyaz Hussain tweeted: “Tribesmen from Pakistan looted, raped ,vandalised all that came their way from Muzaffarabad to Baramulla. Thanks @adgpi [Indian army] they were repulsed.”
The Valley’s separatists have a different narrative for October 27, 1947.
Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik —leaders of the joint separatist front —said the entry of Indian soldiers was unjustified.
In a statement earlier this week calling for Friday’s shutdown, the leaders said: “Seventy-one years back India without any constitutional and moral justifications forcibly occupied the state of Jammu & Kashmir on the same day and since then Indian forces are mercilessly killing innocent and unarmed Kashmiris, vandalizing their properties and are involved in sexual assault on women.”
The leaders said the day was “unfortunate” for the Kashmiris and even questioned the accession of Kashmir to India in their statement.