SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) on Monday alleged that security forces prevented its leaders from visiting the Martyrs’ Graveyard (Mazar-e-Shuhada) at Naqshband Sahib in Srinagar to observe Martyrs’ Day, forcing the party to hold a commemorative function at its headquarters, Nawa-e-Subha.
According to the party, several senior NC leaders were placed under house detention while others were stopped en route to the graveyard, where the party had planned to offer floral tributes and prayers in memory of the 22 people killed on July 13, 1931.
Following the restrictions, NC organised a function at its headquarters that began with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an and Fatiha for the martyrs.
The event was attended by National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah, Vice President and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, Additional General Secretary Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, Cabinet Minister Sakina Itoo, Chief Minister’s Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani, Provincial President Showkat Ahmad Mir, legislators, senior party leaders and workers.
Addressing the gathering, Omar Abdullah termed the restrictions on visiting the Martyrs’ Graveyard an “injustice to history” and said preventing people from paying homage to those who sacrificed their lives against autocratic rule was contrary to democratic values.
He said the martyrs of July 13, 1931, who laid down their lives while demanding democratic rights during the Dogra rule, deserved the same respect accorded to freedom fighters elsewhere in the country.
Omar said preserving the legacy of the 1931 martyrs was both a historical and moral responsibility and asserted that the National Conference would continue to uphold what he described as their vision of “Naya Kashmir.”
The Chief Minister also alleged that the restrictions reflected a discriminatory mindset and criticised attempts to view history through the prism of religion. He said sacrifices made for justice and democratic rights should not be judged on the basis of faith.
“The martyrs of July 13 were martyrs then, remain martyrs today and will always be remembered as such,” he said, adding that no restrictions could erase their place in history.
Referring to the security measures around the graveyard, Omar said governments and officials may change but the graves of the martyrs would remain. He expressed confidence that people would one day be able to freely visit the site to offer prayers and floral tributes.
The Chief Minister also questioned the Centre’s repeated claims of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the restrictions imposed on political leaders and the public presented a contradictory picture.
He further referred to traffic restrictions during the ongoing Shri Amarnath Yatra, saying that while the pilgrimage had been conducted peacefully for decades, the current level of restrictions had caused inconvenience to the public. Omar said he had personally witnessed commuters facing difficulties during his recent journey to Jammu.
Earlier in the day, Cabinet Minister Sakina Itoo and NC Women’s Wing president Er Sabiya Qadri were stopped by police near Khanyar Police Station when they attempted to visit the Martyrs’ Graveyard at dawn, the party claimed.
The National Conference has traditionally observed July 13 by paying tributes at the Martyrs’ Graveyard, where those killed during the 1931 uprising are buried. Since the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, July 13 is no longer an official public holiday, and access to the graveyard has often remained restricted on the anniversary.
