By MD Mesha

NEW DELHI (TSAT) - India on Wednesday has marked its 73 Republic Day as the country’s armed forces displayed its power in parade, held in capital New Delhi.

The biggest flying-past which was also joined by the country’s first woman Rafale aircraft pilot.

On Jan. 26, every year India celebrates this day  as “Republic Day” the day when the country’ constitution came into effect.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other high officials of the government also visited to the National War Memorial and paid homage to its soldiers who killed during the line of duty.

However, the minorities in some parts of the country including Muslims majority region of disputed Kashmir observed the day  as “Black Day”.

Business enters and shops in Kashmir remained closed while government also suspended the mobile service in the valley because of protest and strike in the  region.

Kashmiri people fighting against the Indian rule since 1948 and want to join Pakistan. according to some local rights groups, during the last three decades nearly 100,000 people have killed and thousand other wounded by the Indian forces during the local resistance against New Delhi.

Every year Kashmiris observe the Indian Republic Day and Independence Day as "black days" and stage protest against the Indian forces occupition since 1948. 

In August 15, 2019, the New Delhi unilaterally revoked the special status of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir and divided it into two union territory.

The move strongly opposed by Pakistan and China and called it an act against the UN Security Council resolutions which give right of self-determination to the Kashmiri people. 

“I don’t feel good today - on India’s Republic Day. Too much has gone wrong with the nation in too little time! “ Pravin Sawhney, a former Indian military officer tweeted.

“I just said exactly the same on my message to a dear friend. What must we celebrate?  This government has given us no reason to celebrate. It is all a celebration of false ambitions of one man wants to prove he is God. Did you see him at the parade?,” Darsha wrote on Twitter.

Not only the minorities but many Hindus are also not happy from current government as millions young people are jobless despite having the universities degrees.

On Monday, Prime Minister close aid and former Deputy Chief Minister of Gujrat Nitin Patel also criticised the government  and said Indians leaving the country because of lack of jobs opportunity.

In November, the Bloomberg reported that employment rate in India increased to 7.75% as the country economy badly hit by the COVID-19.

On Wednesday, Kashmiris and Indian Muslims while observing the Indian “Republic Day” as “Black Day” shared hundreds pictures and videos of tortures and violence of extremist Hindus affiliated with RSS/BJP and  called India is a country where minorities are not safe and their lives under risk.

"In our country those who help and save homes and livelihood of people, those who speaks for rights, and safeguarding the country constitutions are being tortured and they are putting in the prison on the name of religion,” said Naseeruddin Shah, a prominent Indian actor in a video that people shared on Twitter.

On Jan. 13, the Human Rights Watch in its latest report said that Indian authorities intensified their crackdown on activists, journalists, and other critics of the government using politically motivated prosecutions in 2021.

In its annual report, HRW said that government under Hindu nationalist BJP leading by Prime Minister Narendra Modi clamping down on dissent and torturing them through draconian counterterrorism law, tax raids, foreign funding regulations, and charges of financial irregularities.

“Attacks against religious minorities were carried out with impunity under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Hindu nationalist government. BJP supporters engaged in mob attacks or threatened violence, while several states adopted laws and policies to target minority communities, particularly Christians, Muslims, Dalits, and Adivasis,” said HRW.

“The Indian authorities have given up any appearance of tolerating dissent and are using the machinery of the state to silence critics,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “At the same time, the BJP government has created an atmosphere in which minorities feel unsafe, at risk of assault by ruling party supporters.”