Kashmir ‘Martyrs’ Day’, Abdullah anniversary holidays to return

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir is expected to have a new government by early next week, ending six years of direct rule by the Centre. One of the first actions of the new National Conference (NC)-led government could be restoring holidays on July 13 (Kashmir Martyrs’ Day) and December 5 (Sheikh Abdullah’s birth anniversary), which were cancelled after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

The NC is also likely to retain holidays introduced by the Lieutenant Governor’s administration on October 26 (Maharaja Hari Singh’s Accession Day) and September 23 (his birth anniversary) to avoid upsetting Jammu’s residents. Additionally, Congress has pledged to restore the “Darbar Move,” the bi-annual shift of government between Srinagar and Jammu, which was discontinued for cost-saving reasons.

The new government may also reverse decisions made to erase the legacy of Sheikh Abdullah, including renaming the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre and removing the "Sher-i-Kashmir" title from police medals, actions that have been heavily criticised by the NC.