Kashmir National Day 2013

In 2012, Rochdale made history by hoisting the Kashmir flag to the top of the Town Hall to celebrate Kashmir National Day and the Kashmir Development Foundation (KDF) is hoping that the flag rising will happen again this year on 24 October.

This historic initiative to mark and celebrate Kashmir National Day every year in the UK and across the world was started by KDF - a national charity working for the empowerment of the Voice of the Kashmiri diaspora community.

24 October is the date that Kashmiri people achieved a key milestone in their long struggle for peace, social justice and fundamental freedoms.

As part of the political resistance movement to establish a democratic system of governance, people rebelled against the autocratic rule of Maharaja Hari Singh. By doing this, they were able to form the people government of the state of Azad (free) Jammu and Kashmir on 24 October 1947.

Sardar Aftab Khan, Executive Director of KDF said: “By hoisting the flag of Kashmir on the roof tops of the town hall local democratic institutions will be celebrating their commitment with the ideals of democratic governance at home and abroad, and the achievements of the Kashmiri diaspora community and their contributions to the local economy, heritage and civic life in Britain.”