EVERY year on 26 January, India celebrates its Republic Day, commemorating the adoption of its Constitution in 1950.

It is a day marked by military parades, patriotic fervor and decla-rations of democratic pride. Yet for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, this date carries a very different meaning. Instead of celebration, it evokes memories of broken promises, con-stitutional betrayals and a long struggle for dignity, rights and self-determination.

The Indian Constitution, adopted on 26 January, claims to guarantee justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. These lofty principles are repeatedly highlighted in Republic Day speeches. However, Illegally Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) stands as the most glaring contradiction to these claims. From the very beginning, Kashmir’s relationship with India was acknowledged as disputed and temporary, subject to the will of its people. United Na-tions resolutions, bilateral commitments and even Indian leaders publicly accepted the princi-ple of self-determination. Yet, more than seven decades later, that promise remains unful-filled, proving it to be the mere shallow promises based on hypocrisy, betrayal and treachery.

For Kashmiris, 26 January is not remembered as the day of constitutional empowerment but as a symbol of constitutional erosion and systematic denial of basic human rights and........

© Pakistan Observer