Kashmiris across Azad Jammu and Kashmir and along the Line of Control marked India’s Republic Day on Monday as a “Black Day,” holding protests and rallies to draw international attention to the Kashmir dispute.
Local organisers said demonstrations were planned in Muzaffarabad and other small and large towns across the region. The All Parties Hurriyat Conference, along with other groups, led marches and public gatherings, where speakers said the observance was meant to convey to the world that India’s policies in occupied Jammu and Kashmir contradict democratic principles and basic rights.
Organisers said the protests would highlight what they described as decades of violence, detentions, loss of life, and damage to property in the territory, adding that many families have been affected by the prolonged conflict. By taking to the streets, the groups said they aimed to keep the Kashmir issue in focus and urge the international community to press for the implementation of United Nations resolutions related to the dispute.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Indian authorities imposed strict security measures across Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir ahead of Republic Day, including lockdown-like restrictions, intensified searches, frisking and surveillance, and a heavy deployment of armed forces, which disrupted daily life.
The APHC called for a complete shutdown in the occupied territory, with anti-India demonstrations and rallies also held in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan and major world capitals. A multi-layered security grid was put in place across the Valley, with large contingents of police and central armed paramilitary forces deployed at sensitive locations, roads, markets and public spaces. Additional checkpoints were set up, and residents and commuters faced repeated checking and frisking.
Kashmir Inspector General of Police V. K. Birdi said elaborate security arrangements had been finalised around Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar, where the main Republic Day function was scheduled, adding that aerial surveillance using drones was also being carried out. He said sensitive areas had seen enhanced measures, including road blockades, vehicle checks, security cordons, and search operations.
Indian forces intensified vehicle searches and identity checks across all 20 districts of the territory, including Srinagar, Gurez, Uri, Karnah, and Tangdhar. Movement on key roads, particularly near the Line of Control, was closely monitored, causing traffic disruptions. Night raids and patrolling were also stepped up as part of what authorities described as preventive security measures.
Kashmiris say such occasions are marked under heavy restrictions and view them as reminders of prolonged repression and the denial of political rights in the occupied region.
