Paris [France], October 23 : Members of the Indian community and friends of India in France observed Black Day on October 22 as on this day in 1947 Pakistani invaders illegally entered Jammu and Kashmir and plundered and committed atrocities.
The protesters called on like-minded secular countries around the world to unite in opposing states that sponsor terrorism and radicalization and represent a threat to world peace.
The peaceful protest against the State of Pakistan's failure to respect human rights in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), was organised by members of the Indian community and friends of India.
During the protest, the members of the Indian community and Friends of India in France said that they have been facing radicalization and divisions between people in the name of religion.
They said that the current events in France, including the tragic beheading of teacher Samuel Paty three years ago and Professor Dominique Bernard a week ago in Arras, are reminders of the dangerous world in which they are living.
The members of Indian diaspora said that they are being forced to change their lifestyle and values and mentioned that the radicalisation is growing around them.
Their statement added, "They are reminders of the battle we are waging against individuals, groups and countries that are trying to change our way of life and our values. Similar actions are being taken in many countries around the world to protect their ethos and their cultural and secular way of life. The forces of radicalization are growing ever stronger, so it's important that like-minded countries with democratic and secular credentials unite to fight this common foe."
Indian community emphasised that the India is a country where multiple religious' groups have lived in harmony for centuries. It is one of the few countries in the world where, historically, there has been no concept of anti-Semitism. It is also a country that has been fighting terrorism and radical forces across the border in Pakistan for many decades.
They also went on to mention the Indo-Pakistan dispute and said, "The world sees the Indo-Pakistani dispute over Kashmir only as a territorial issue. In our view, however, this dispute should be seen as Pakistan's first attempt to disrupt the secular fabric of India. So when, on October 22, 1947, Pashtun tribesmen, armed by the Pakistani army, crossed the borders of Kashmir, killing thousands of innocent Kashmiris, Pakistan launched, perhaps unknowingly, its policy of using violence to extend its religious tribal boundaries, as well as using proxies to promote its strategic interests."
The release stated that what began in 1947 as an effort to seize the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, is now an entrenched state policy that promotes the use of terrorism against adversaries and allows radical Islamic groups to flourish in the country.
They alleged that the attack perpetrated on September 25, 2020 by a young Pakistani national outside the former offices of the Charlie Hebdo newspaper in Paris, had been influenced by radical groups in his home country.
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