Accession Day is a public
holiday in the Union Territory of
Jammu and Kashmir, commemorating 26 October 1947, when
Maharaja Hari Singh
Maharaja Sir Hari Singh (September 1895 – 26 April 1961) was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Hari Singh was the son of Amar Singh and Bhotiali Chib. In 1923, following his uncle's death, Singh became ...
signed off the
Instrument of Accession, in which
Jammu and Kashmir joined the
Dominion of India
The Dominion of India, officially the Union of India,* Quote: “The first collective use (of the word "dominion") occurred at the Colonial Conference (April to May 1907) when the title was conferred upon Canada and Australia. New Zealand and N ...
.
It became an official public holiday in
Jammu and Kashmir for the first time in 2020.
The festivities of the day include holding rallies, bursting of
firecrackers
A firecracker (cracker, noise maker, banger) is a small explosive device primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise, especially in the form of a loud bang, usually for celebration or entertainment; any visual effect is incidental to ...
, singing
India's national anthem, and raising the
flag of India.
In some areas, the festivities are as big as those of the Hindu festival of
Diwali.
The "Accession Day" is observed as "Black Day" by
separatist Kashmiri leaders like
Syed Ali Shah Geelani
Syed Ali Shah Geelani (1929–2021) was an Islamist,
pro-Pakistan,
Sumantra BoseSyed Ali Shah Geelani: The man who fought for Kashmir’s freedom BBC News, 2 September 2021. "First, he made it clear that although a proud Kashmiri, he conside ...
and followers of
All Parties Hurriyat Conference
All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) is an alliance of 26 political, social and religious organizations formed on 9 March 1993, as a united political front to raise the cause of Kashmiri separatism in the Kashmir conflict. Mehmood Ahmed Sagh ...
in protest of alleged
human rights violations
Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hum ...
by the India's "occupation" of Jammu and Kashmir.
See also
*
Republic Day
Republic Day is the name of a holiday in several countries to commemorate the day when they became republics.
List
January 1 January in Slovak Republic
The day of creation of Slovak republic. A national holiday since 1993. Officially cal ...
*
Independence Day
*
Kashmir conflict
The Kashmir conflict is a territorial conflict over the Kashmir region, primarily between India and Pakistan, with China playing a third-party role. The conflict started after the partition of India in 1947 as both India and Pakistan claimed ...
*
Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019
The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 is an act of the parliament of India containing provisions to reconstitute the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Indian-administered union territories (UTs) called Jammu and ...
References
Public holidays in India
Annual events in India
October observances
Festivals in Jammu and Kashmir
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