SRINAGAR: With the removal of July 13 ‘Martyrs’ Day’ from the list of gazetted holidays by the Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor’s administration post Article 370 abrogation, all eyes are now on whether the Omar Abdullah-led government will restore official functions on the day, even as Kashmir-based parties renew their demand to declare it a public holiday.
The BJP has asserted it will strongly oppose holding of any official functions on July 13 to mark “Martyrs Day”.
“July 13 is a very important day. It is the day of July 13, 1931 martyrs. The NC government should declare a holiday on Martyrs Day,” J&K Apni Party president and former minister Altaf Bukhari said.
He also demanded that the “Martyrs’ Day” be observed at the state level as it used to be.
Before Article 370 abrogation, July 13 was observed as 'Martyrs Day' in 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 at Naqshband sahib in downtown Srinagar on this day. This wreath-laying ceremony had taken place even when BJP was sharing power with PDP.
The 'Martyrs Day' had also been a state holiday till August 5, 2019. However, after abrogation of Article 370, Lt Governor administration in 2020 dropped July 13 from the list of gazetted holidays in J&K.
Now with NC in power in J&K, it remains to be seen whether official functions are held on the day.
An NC spokesman said a review meeting was held at party headquarters in Srinagar to review the ongoing arrangements for the observance of Martyrs’ Day on July 13.
The meeting was chaired by NC’s General Secretary Haji Ali Muhammad Sagar.
NC spokesman Imran Nabi Dar said he cannot speak for the government but the party has sought time from the government machinery that looks after law and order for their visit to the martyrs’ graveyard to offer their tributes.
“We are looking forward to visiting the martyrs’ graveyard on July 13 and offering our tributes,” he said.
Asked why NC government has not announced holiday on the day as it had been pressing for it when not in power, Imran said, “The elected government has sent a proposal to Lt Governor to declare holidays on July 13 and on Sheikh Abdullah’s birth anniversary on December 5. It is pending a nod with the LG”.
However, the NC leaders are non committal whether official functions will be held to mark the day.
J&K BJP spokesman Altaf Thakur said the party does not think Lt Governor Manoj Sinha would allow holding of any official function on the day.
“If government functions are held on the day, we will strongly oppose it as we don’t consider those killed on July 13 as “martyrs”. They had rebelled against the Maharaja rule,” he said.
The BJP members had created ruckus in J&K Assembly in March this year after PDP MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra during discussion on Motion of Thanks on Lt Governor’s address had demanded restoration of holiday on July 13 ‘Martyrs Day’ and NC founder Sheikh Abdullah’s birth anniversary on December 5.