SRINAGAR: The Lt Governor administration in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday barred mainstream leaders including former Chief Ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah from visiting the graveyard of July 13, 1931 martyrs in downtown Srinagar from paying homage to them on 'Martyrs Day'.
“The gates of my house have been locked up yet again to prevent me from visiting Mazar-e-Shuhada - an enduring symbol of Kashmir’s resistance & resilience against authoritarianism, oppression & injustice. The sacrifices of our martyrs are a testament that the spirit of Kashmiri’s cannot be crushed. Today even observing it in remembrance of the protesters martyred on this day has been criminalized (sic),” PDP chief and former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti posted on X, formerly Twitter.
She also shared pictures of the locked gate of her residence.
“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,” Mehbooba said.
Another former J&K CM and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah posted 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.”
“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. InshaAllah next year we will mark 13th July with the solemnity & respect this day deserves,” Omar said.
J&K Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari attempted to march towards the “Martyrs Graveyard” along with his party leaders and workers from his residence in uptown Srinagar. However, he was barred by police officers from visiting the “martyrs graveyard” at Naqashaband sahib area in Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar.
Peoples Conference chairman and former minister Sajad Gani Lone also alleged that he was placed under house arrest.
“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,” Sajad Lone posted on X.
“People have a right to choose their heroes. And the martyrs are heroes for the people of Kashmir. Why be in 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,” he said.
Senior NC leader and Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah in a post on X said, “The moral compass of this supposed to be a democratic nation has gone so much wrong under this BJP regime, that it is now scared of the (13th July) martyrs in graves who gave their lives in the struggle against the ruthless monarchy and autocracy. Martyrs who gave their blood for freedom and human dignity.”
“The police and administration which used to pay homage to those brave hearts is now told to block the ways heading towards that graveyard and put locks on the doors of those who want to go and pay their respect to those heroes. This not only is a disrespect to the idea of freedom and democracy, but it also is a huge and ugly shift from the values over which this nation was founded,” the MP said.
Before Article 370 abrogation, July 13 was observed as 'Martyrs Day' in the erstwhile J&K state to mark the killing of 22 Kashmiri civilians by Dogra troops under Maharaja Hari Singh on this day in 1931.
Every year, a customary wreath-laying ceremony by the head of the government used to be held at the martyrs’ graveyard in Srinagar on this day. This wreath-laying ceremony had taken place even when the BJP had been in power with its coalition partner PDP.
The 'Martyrs Day' had also been a state holiday till August 5, 2019 — the day which saw the withdrawal of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and its statehood.
The Lt Governor administration has dropped the day from the list of gazetted holidays in 2020.