Around 1,500 British Muslims rallied outside Downing Street on Tuesday to protest the Indian government’s revocation of Kashmir’s special constitutional status and Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The demonstration, organised on the anniversary of India’s scrapping of Article 370 in 2019, drew campaigners from across the UK, including Yorkshire, Nottingham, and the West Midlands, to highlight what they described as joint state oppression by India and Israel.
The majority of attendees were of Pakistani and Kashmiri heritage, and many likened the occupation of Kashmir to that of Palestine, accusing New Delhi and Tel Aviv of coordinating their efforts in subjugating Muslim populations under military rule.
Speakers included community activists, councillors, and politicians from both the UK and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, with chants echoing solidarity for Kashmir and Gaza throughout Whitehall.
Kashmir’s ‘Black Day’
August 5 marked the day India revoked Article 370 and 35A of its constitution, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its semi-autonomous status. The move was accompanied by a military lockdown, internet blackout, mass arrests, and sweeping crackdowns on press and political dissent.
Critics say the revocation effectively ended Kashmir’s internal autonomy and paved the way for demographic change in the Muslim-majority region, with fears that non-Kashmiris would be encouraged to settle and alter the ethnic balance.
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Human rights organisations have repeatedly condemned the clampdown, calling it a flagrant violation of international law and the basic rights of Kashmiris.
Zionism and Hindutva
Protesters drew parallels between Zionism and Hindutva, the Hindu nationalist ideology espoused by the ruling BJP in India.
Dr Yasin Rahman told the crowd that both movements are rooted in ethno-religious nationalism, which seeks to dominate territory based on identity, and frame historical grievances to justify current state violence.
Shakeela Bibi, a former parliamentary candidate from Dudley, said: “We have the Zionists who believe they are God’s chosen people and better than everyone else. And then you have Modi’s Hindutva nationalism pushing the same narrative for Hindus. We believe everyone should be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of race or religion.”
Councillor Zanib Raja added: “India is following the exact same blueprint as Israel. The occupation, the oppression – it’s identical.”
Also in attendance was Sardar Usman Ali Khan, son of former Azad Jammu and Kashmir prime minister, Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, who condemned what he described as the “extremist Hindutva oppression” currently gripping Indian-occupied Kashmir.
“It seems the human rights era is over, and the [UN] charter of 1945 is on the verge of disintegration,” he warned.
