Opposition leaders, including PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, JKAP president Altaf Bukhari, and JKPC president Sajad Lone, were also prevented from paying tributes at Mazar-e-Shuhada.
By Pravin Kumar
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was notably absent from Srinagar during the observance of Martyrs’ Day, a day commemorating the 22 civilians killed in 1931.
Meanwhile, authorities detained several senior leaders from the ruling National Conference (NC) and opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), J&K Apni Party (JKAP), and J&K Peoples Conference (JKPC), to prevent them from visiting the Mazar-e-Shuhada at Naqshband Sahib in Srinagar’s old city to pay floral tributes to the martyrs.
The clampdown, marked by barricades, house arrests, and locked party offices, has drawn sharp criticism from regional leaders, who accused the administration of stifling democratic expression and erasing Kashmir’s historical narrative.
Heavy Security Measures Thwart Commemorations
Security forces sealed off all roads leading to the Naqshband Sahib shrine, where the 22 martyrs of the 1931 uprising are buried, with barricades set up across Srinagar since early Sunday morning.
The J&K police had issued a warning on Saturday, July 12, threatening action against anyone attempting to visit the shrine.
Formal applications by regional parties, including the NC, PDP, JKAP, and JKPC, to the Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar for permission to hold commemorative events were denied.
In a bid to restrict movement, security forces locked the homes and offices of several political leaders from the outside, effectively placing them under house arrest or detaining them at party headquarters.
The NC reported that senior leaders, including provincial president Showkat Mir, spokesman Imran Nabi Dar, Shafqat Watali, and MLA Tanvir Sadiq, were either detained or confined to their residences.
NC leader and Khanyar MLA Salman Sagar alleged that police misbehaved with party workers and physically obstructed them at the NC headquarters, Nawai Subha. “We are nationalist forces who have been paying tributes at the graveyard for decades,” Sagar said, condemning the authorities’ actions as a clampdown on Kashmir’s democratic traditions.
Omar Abdullah’s Absence and Response on X
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was not in Srinagar during the events, took to X to express his outrage over the detentions and restrictions. In a post, he described the measures as “a blatantly undemocratic move,” accusing the authorities of deploying police and central forces as “jailers” to lock leaders’ homes, block major bridges in Srinagar, and prevent access to the martyrs’ graveyard.
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“All to stop people from visiting a historically important graveyard containing the graves of people who laid down their lives to give Kashmiris a voice and to empower them,” Abdullah wrote.
He likened the 1931 massacre to the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy, emphasizing its significance in Kashmir’s fight for democratic representation under British Paramountcy.
Abdullah further criticized the administration for portraying the martyrs as “villains” simply because they were Muslims. “We may be denied the opportunity to visit their graves today, but we will not forget their sacrifices,” he added, underscoring the enduring legacy of the 1931 uprising.
Opposition Leaders Detained, Voice Dissent
Senior opposition leaders, including PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, JKAP president Altaf Bukhari, and JKPC president Sajad Lone, were also prevented from paying tributes at Mazar-e-Shuhada.
Mufti, confined to her residence, shared images on X of her locked gate surrounded by security personnel. She called for mutual recognition of historical heroes across India, stating, “The day you accept our heroes as your own, just as Kashmiris have embraced yours, from Mahatma Gandhi to Bhagat Singh, that day, as Prime Minister Modi once said, the ‘dil ki doori’ will truly end.” Mufti condemned the siege of the martyrs’ graveyard as a reflection of the administration’s disconnect with Kashmir’s sentiments.
PDP leader Naeem Akhtar, also under house arrest, reported finding his gate locked overnight with a heavy police presence outside. “I was denied permission to pay homage to martyrs of 1931, who symbolize Kashmir’s fight for freedom and democracy,” he said, noting that the commemoration was a government-sponsored event until 2019, before the abrogation of Article 370.
Bukhari, whose JKAP office was locked to prevent a planned prayer meeting, urged party workers to hold prayers at home for the martyrs’ “Esal-e-Sawab.” “I appeal to the people to remain calm and peaceful and pray for these brave souls who live on in our hearts,” he said.Lone, detained at his residence, criticized the Union government for attempting to “redefine what is sacred for the people of Kashmir.” He stated, “The sacrifices rendered on July 13 are sacred for all of us. Denigrating these sacrifices and stopping everyone from going to the martyrs’ graveyard elevates these sacrifices to a new high. Histories that are etched in blood don’t vanish.”
Historical Context and Political Controversy
The 1931 uprising, observed as Martyrs’ Day, marks the killing of 22 civilians who protested against the autocratic rule under British Paramountcy. The movement led to J&K’s first elections, granting representation to diverse sections of society. Until 2019, Martyrs’ Day was an official holiday, with state-led ceremonies at Mazar-e-Shuhada. However, following the revocation of J&K Article 370 and the reorganization of J&K into two Union Territories, the Lieutenant Governor’s administration scrapped the holiday and discontinued official commemorations. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Kashmir have maintained that the civilians killed in 1931 were “rioters” rather than national heroes, a stance that has deepened tensions with regional parties. The NC, PDP, JKAP, and JKPC have accused the administration of attempting to erase Kashmir’s historical identity and suppress democratic expression.
