Kashmiri leaders, people stopped from visiting Martyrs’ cemetery in Srinagar

The leaders and activists of mainstream as well as separatist parties were not allowed to relocate to the commemorative site situated beside the mausoleum of a Sufi saint of Naqshbandi order, a mosque and a hospice in Khawaja Bazaar area of central Srinagar.

They were either placed under house detention or their movements were restricted by the police whereas J&K Apni Party chief Syed Altaf Bukhari and other senior party leaders and activists were stopped by a strong contingent of police as they began marching towards the Mazaar-e-Shohada.

Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president, in a post on ‘X’ said, “The gates of my house have been locked up yet again to prevent me from visiting Mazaar-e-Shohada - an enduring symbol of Kashmir’s resistance & resilience against authoritarianism, oppression & injustice”.

She asserted, “The sacrifices of our martyrs is a testament that the spirit of Kashmiris cannot be crushed. Today even observing it in remembrance of the protesters martyred on this day has been criminalised”. She added, “On 5th August 2019, J&K was dismembered, disempowered & stripped of everything that was sacrosanct for us. They intend to erase each one of our collective memories. But such assaults will only strengthen our determination to continue the fight for our rights & dignity.”

Omar Abdullah, National Conference (NC) leader and former chief minister, wrote on ‘X’, “Another 13th July, Martyr’s Day, another round of locked gates & police excesses to stop people from paying homage to those who sacrificed their lives to establish a just, fair & democratic regime in J&K.”

He added, “Everywhere else in the country these people would have been celebrated but in J&K the administration wants to ignore these sacrifices. This is the last year they will be able to do this. Insha Allah (God willing) next year we will mark 13th July with the solemnity & respect this day deserves”.

Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of his faction of separatist Hurriyat Conference, said that he was placed under house arrest. “But let all know that July 13, 1931, marks a historic day in Kashmir’s history, when these martyrs sacrificed their lives in the fight against autocratic rule and despotism. The memories and sacrifices of these martyrs are deeply ingrained in the hearts and minds of the Kashmiri people and will never be forgotten”, he said in a statement.

J&K People’s Conference chairman and former minister Sajad Gani Lone said, “For no reason informed of being under house arrest. I really fail to understand what the administration gets in stopping people from going to the martyr’s graveyard”. He added, “People have a right to choose their heroes. And the martyrs are heroes for the people of Kashmir. Why be in a denial and why on earth would a non-resident government need to meddle in it. Actually, believing that a government will decide on what has been historically heroic and who are the historical heroes is an unambiguous sign of despotism”.

In the past, apart from common people, Kashmiri politicians – both mainstream and separatists- would make a beeline to the Mazaar-e-Shohada and the Kashmir martyrs’ day would be observed at the official level too. But since 2018, the J&K government has completely disregarded a historical event that had led to local Muslims’ uprising against autocratic Dogra Maharaja’s rule but is interpreted differently by the BJP, the Kashmiri Pandit outfits and some other like-minded political groups.

On July 13, 1931, as many as 22 Kashmiri Muslims were killed in firing by the Maharaja's army outside Srinagar’s central prison where an in-camera trial of Abdul Qadeer Khan, a non-local chef with a British traveller, was being held.

Khan had been charged with sedition and instigating people for violence after he made fiery speeches against the Maharaja’s “oppressive” rule at a Friday congregation and while pointing towards his Palace asked people to raze it “brick by brick.” July 13 is observed as ‘Martyrs’ Day’ on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) since.

Traditionally, the head of the government in J&K or its representatives would visit ‘Mazaar-e-Shohada’ to pay obeisance to the martyrs of July 13, 1931 and lay wreaths at their grave. A special contingent of J&K policemen would post the bugle and present the ceremonial guard of honour to the martyrs.

However, no such customary ceremony has taken place at the cemetery since 2020 nor is any resident being allowed to enter the premises. Early Saturday, both entrances to the mazaar were locked by the authorities and gun-wielding policemen stood guard outside it the whole day.

The J&K Government had in January 2020, six months after the erstwhile state was stripped of its special status and split up into two Union Territories, cancelled the gazetted state holiday on July 13. The decision, however, evoked widespread condemnation by local political parties and vast sections of J&K Muslims termed it as an “onslaught” on their ethos and a “deliberate attempt” to “hurt” their sentiments.

A year later, the Lieutenant Governor-led administration, conceding the demand of various political and ethnic groups of Jammu and the BJP, declared September 23-the birthday of Maharaja Hari Singh- a public holiday. It was during his rule that the shooting incident outside Srinagar’s central prison had taken place.

CPIM leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said that the 13th July, 1931 “is one of the most important days in the annals of recent Kashmiri history…the uprising of victimized and oppressed people against despotic rule cannot be erased from history”. He added, “Although the present administration disallowed official commemoration of this historic day, it remains deeply ingrained in the hearts and minds of our people. The sacrifices of these courageous men to free society from the shackles of autocracy and tyranny cannot be forgotten.”

However, Panun Kashmir, Kashmir Vahini and some other political groups of displaced Kashmiri Pandits observed a ‘back day’ on Saturday as they allege that July 13, 1931 also marks the beginning of “persecution” of the minority Hindus in the Valley by Muslim majority. The BJP and like-minded parties having strong base in Jammu, the native place of despotic Dogra Maharajas, consider their rule in undivided J&K as a ‘golden period’ and also maintain that Maharaja Hari Singh was a genuine ruler of the State and the rebellion against was “illegitimate”. When ruling J&K with PDP between 2015 and 2018, the BJP ministers in the coalition government would skip the official wreath laying ceremony at Mazaar-e-Shohada and publicly say “they are not our martyrs”.