Jammu and Kashmir’s regional parties on Sunday put up a united show by praising those who were killed on July 13, 1931 during a rebellion against the then Dogra Maharaja, even as the Union Territory administration earlier this year struck down July 13 as a holiday from the official calendar.
“The July 13 movement was the most inclusive and secular movement of the pre-independence era. People will continue their struggle to resist demographic change, disempowerment and oppression through democratic, constitutional and non-violent means to rebuild the State in accordance with our traditions of tolerance, accommodation and amity,” a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesman said in a statement.
The PDP said people of Jammu and Kashmir had endured a “brutal security clampdown and the world’s longest Internet shutdown.” “We reject the undemocratic status quo imposed on us by the BJP government, which has deprived us of our autonomy, freedom and human dignity, which underpin the constitution. We demand an immediate end to the Centre’s denial of the political issue,” the spokesman said.
National Conference president and Member of Parliament Farooq Abdullah, while paying tributes to the people, said, “The idea behind remembering martyrs of July 13, 1931 is not merely an act of reminiscing the past. July 13 is the day of assertion of J&K’s identity, rights of its people. These martyrs will continue to be a beacon of light for us and for the coming generations.”
NC vice-president Omar Abdullah described July 13, 1931 as “the watershed moment in the people’s struggle for restoration of their universal human rights.’. It was their valour that inspired millions of others to rise against the then despotic and autocratic regime. We observe the day to reiterate our commitment to fight evil with kindness, violence with non-violence and peaceful struggle.”
Peoples Conference leader Abdul Gani Vakil said the valiant struggle in 1931 was for change, against monarchy, oppression and feudal repression.
“The sense of servility that a Kashmiri has been subjected to today is no different than what the rulers in 1931 did. Our struggle today is the same,” Mr. Vakil said.
CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami also paid tributes. “’Martyrs Day’ serves as a reminder to protect and promote the rights of people and their dignity.”
“It was due to the sacrifices of July 13 martyrs, which ultimately led to the unique identity of J&K and Ladakh. Unfortunately on August 5, 2019, the BJP government unilaterally abrogated J&K’s special status, thereby assaulted the very basic structure of the Constitution of India,” Mr. Tarigami said.
