SRINAGAR: Political tensions in Jammu and Kashmir have escalated ahead of July 13, historically observed as Martyrs’ Day, as mainstream parties including the National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Apni Party, and People’s Conference gear up to pay tributes at the Martyrs’ Graveyard in Srinagar amid uncertainty over official permissions and deepening rifts with the Lieutenant Governor-led administration.
The day commemorates the killing of 22 Kashmiris by Dogra troops outside Srinagar Central Jail in 1931. The massacre triggered massive unrest in which hundreds were killed within and outside Srinagar.
It was a gazetted holiday in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir until the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, after which the administration dropped it from the official holiday calendar. As the landmark day led to the political awakening and resulted in overthrow of the Dogra rule later in 1947, the right wing narrative has been projecting it as a communal agitation, which the BJP has upheld as part of its politics. Since 2019, parties have been locked in a symbolic and political battle to restore the observance.
This year, the demand has taken on fresh urgency with NC in power after last year’s elections. NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar has written to the Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar, requesting permission for party president Farooq Abdullah and senior leaders to offer floral tributes at the Mazaar-e-Shuhada on Sunday at 8 am. “We seek necessary arrangements and confirmation of the allotted timing to avoid confusion,” Sagar said in his letter.
The party, in an official statement, criticised the administration for having repeatedly denied this right since 2019. “This day is rooted in our collective political memory. We hope our peaceful and democratic request will be respected this year,” the statement said. Chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq further vowed that the NC government would reinstate July 13 as a public holiday, linking its erasure to “broader erosion of J&K’s political identity.” He said, “We have promised to bring back this holiday, and we will do it.”
However, the political optics have become more complex. The PDP, led by Mehbooba Mufti, has accused NC of paying only “lip service” to the legacy of the 1931 martyrs. “Their silence when our resolution in the Assembly seeking restoration of the holiday was rejected, speaks louder than their letters,” Mufti said, referring to the recent dismissal of PDP MLA Waheed Parra’s resolution by Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, himself a senior NC leader.
In a strongly worded statement, Mufti alleged that NC’s failure to support the resolution revealed its “double-speak on Kashmir’s history.” PDP vice president Sartaj Madni announced that the party leadership would also visit the graveyard on Sunday and demanded the reinstatement of July 13 as a gazetted holiday. “We remain committed to resisting all attempts to dilute Kashmir’s historic identity,” he said.
The Apni Party and People’s Conference have echoed similar sentiments. Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari criticised the government’s inaction and announced that his party, too, has sought permission to visit the graveyard. “The sacrifices of July 13 martyrs laid the foundations of political awakening in J&K. The government should restore the day’s official recognition,” he said.
Despite these political assertions, the administration has signalled no intention of revisiting the 2020 decision to scrap the holiday. The presence of BJP in the legislature continues to shape the response. Last year, BJP leaders labelled the 1931 martyrs as “traitors”, with Altaf Thakur calling it a “loot day for Kashmiri Pandits.” The party remains firmly opposed to recognising July 13 in the official calendar.
The situation took a further turn on Friday, July 11, when Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir’s chief cleric, was placed under house arrest. He was prevented from delivering the Friday sermon at Srinagar’s Jama Masjid, reportedly to forestall any mention of the 1931 martyrs. “No living nation can forget the supreme sacrifice of its martyrs. Restrictions and bans cannot erase our collective memory,” Mirwaiz said in a post on X.
Congregational prayers at the Jama Masjid were also disallowed, and security restrictions have reportedly been stepped up around the Martyrs’ Graveyard at Naqshband Sahib, where all major parties have announced their plans to visit.
The tension underscores the political symbolism of Martyrs’ Day in Kashmir’s fractured history, an event that cuts across party lines but is increasingly seen through the prism of post-2019 power shifts. While the LG-led administration cites security and neutrality, Kashmir-based parties view the erasure of the day as part of a broader attempt to suppress the region’s political legacy.
Last year, Omar Abdullah had declared on July 13: “This is the last year they will be able to do this. From next year, we will mark 13th July with the solemnity and respect this day deserves.” Now, as July 13 arrives under NC’s rule, all eyes are on whether the party can fulfill that promise, or whether official silence will prevail once again.
