Islamabad, (TW News) __ Senior Vice Chairman of the Jammu Kashmir National Front Altaf Hussain Wani has said that India has no moral grounds to celebrate its Republic Day at a time when thousands of Kashmiris, including politicians, human rights defenders, journalists, and ordinary citizens, remain imprisoned for demanding freedom for their homeland.

In a statement issued here today, the National Front leader said that the ground realities in Jammu and Kashmir expose a grave and continuing human rights crisis in the disputed region. He noted that arbitrary detentions, suppression of dissent, excessive militarization, and the systematic silencing of political and journalistic voices have become routine.

Referring to the unilateral revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August 2019, he said that Indian authorities have since intensified repressive measures across the region. The widespread use of preventive detention, prolonged communication blackouts, mass surveillance, cordon-and-search operations, and collective punishment of civilians has created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among the indigenous population.

Condemning the ruthless suppression of dissent, Wani said that peaceful political activity, protests, and even online expression are routinely criminalized.

He added that political leaders and civil rights activists have been detained for years without charge, while civil society organizations documenting human rights violations have been targeted through raids and arrests, effectively dismantling independent advocacy in the region.

He further stated that while Indian media portrays a façade of normalcy in Kashmir, authorities continue to rely on draconian laws such as the Public Safety Act (PSA), Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) as tools of repression. Global human rights organizations, he said, have repeatedly highlighted the disproportionate application of these laws in Jammu and Kashmir compared to the rest of India.

Highlighting the systematic silencing of the press, he said Kashmir has become one of the most repressive environments for journalists in South Asia. Independent reporters and editors face arrests, interrogations, raids, seizure of equipment, travel bans, and repeated summons under anti-terror and preventive detention laws.

“Media policies imposed by the occupation authorities have institutionalized censorship, forcing widespread self-censorship and undermining the public’s right to information,” he added.

Despite repeated international calls, he observed that independent investigations into human rights violations remain obstructed and accountability remains elusive.

“A country that has denied fundamental rights and freedoms to the people of Kashmir has no moral justification to celebrate Republic Day,” he said, adding that depriving Kashmiris of their birthright stands in direct contradiction to democratic principles and international human rights obligations.