Srinagar
The new list of official holidays now excludes the birth anniversary of former Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah and the historic Martyrs day.
According to Government Order No. 251-JK(GAD) of 2019 Dated:27.12.2019, 27 public holidays will be observed throughout the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Historic Matyrs day, observed on July 13 and birth anniversary of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah which used to fall on December 5, have been removed from the official list of holidays.
However, accession day October 26 has been included in the list of holidays.
Apart from these, there are 46 holidays, including four provincial holidays for Kashmir region, three for Jammu, eight local holidays and four restricted holidays in 2020. There were 47 holidays in the 2019 calendar year.
Martyrs’ Day is observed in Jammu and Kashmir on July 13 every year in remembrance of twenty-two Kashmiris, who were martyred by troops of autocratic Dogra Maharaja outside the central jail in Srinagar while court proceedings against Abdul Qadeer were taking place. Qadeer had called upon Kashmiris to defy the Dogra rule, resulting in his imprisonment.
On October 26, 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession with India.
