Leaders put under house arrest, Omar slams ‘blatant undemocratic move': ‘Martyrs' Day our Jallianwala Bagh'
July 13 is marked as Martyrs' Day as a homage to the 22 Kashmiris who fell to the bullets of the Dogra army while protesting the rule of Maharaja Hari Singh in 1931. Formerly a public holiday in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, it was scrapped by the Lieutenant Governor-led administration after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
While the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has called it a 'blatantly undemocratic move' saying July 13 is our Jallianwala Bagh, former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has said that dilli ki doori will true end when 'you accept our heroes as your own, just as Kashmir embraced yours'.
'In a blatantly undemocratic move, homes have been locked from the outside, police & central forces deployed as jailers & major bridges in Srinagar blocked,' Omar posted on X. 'All to stop people from visiting a historically important grave yard containing the graves of people who laid down their lives to give Kashmiris a voice & to empower them. I will never understand what the Law & Order government is so afraid of.'
13th July massacre is our Jallianwala Bagh. The people who laid down their lives did so against the British. Kashmir was being ruled under the British Paramountcy. What a shame that true heroes who fought against British rule in all its forms are today projected as villains only…
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) July 13, 2025
The post went on to say: '13th July massacre is our Jallianwala Bagh. The people who laid down their lives did so against the British. Kashmir was being ruled under the British Paramountcy. What a shame that true heroes who fought against British rule in all its forms are today projected as villains only because they were Muslims. We may be denied the opportunity to visit their graves today but we will not forget their sacrifices.'
Chief Minister Omar also posted from his official X handle saying the sacrifices of July 13 martyrs marked 'not just resistance but the rise of a collective conscience that continues to guide us to this day'.
'On 13th July, the chief minister solemnly remembers the martyrs of 1931, brave souls who stood unshaken in the face of tyranny and laid down their lives for justice, dignity, and democracy in Jammu and Kashmir. Their sacrifice marked not just resistance but the rise of a collective conscience that continues to guide us to this day. Their memory cannot be erased. Their truth cannot be silenced. This day stands as a timeless reminder that courage endures, and that freedom, once awakened, cannot be undone. We continue to honour their legacy not merely through words, but through the values we uphold and the justice we strive to deliver,' the post said.
Though political parties had resolved that they would visit the cemetery on Sunday to pay tributes to the those killed in 1931, the J&K Police said in a post on X Saturday that the district administration has denied permission for the visits.
Reacting to the detentions and deployment of police and paramilitary forces to prevent the commemorative functions, former chief minister Mufti said several of her party leaders who tried to visit the graveyard were detained and that 'it seems we are getting back into the oppressive times that our 13 July Martyrs fought against'
'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 (distance of hearts) will truly end,' she said as she posted photos of her locked home. 'When you lay siege to the Martyrs' Graveyard, lock people in their homes to prevent them from visiting Mazar-e-Shuhada, it speaks volumes. July 13th commemorates our martyrs, those who rose against tyranny, much like countless others across the country. They will always be our heroes.'
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' (distance of hearts) will truly end.
When you lay siege to the Martyrs' Graveyard, lock people in… pic.twitter.com/PjZpH7W8We
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) July 13, 2025
National Conference chief spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said that several of his party colleagues and legislators have been put under house detention since Saturday evening to prevent them from visiting the Martyrs' cemetery.
'Since last night, I, like many of my colleagues, including the party leadership at Gupkar, the Advisor to the Chief Minister, and a majority of sitting MLAs have been locked inside my home,' Sadiq said. 'This is not just unfortunate; it is a deliberate attempt to suppress remembrance and deny us the right to honour the martyrs of July 13. Such actions are not only unnecessary they are unjustified, deeply insensitive, and reveal a troubling disregard for history.'
Peoples Conference president and former minister Sajad Lone also had a similar post.
Not allowed to move out of home. Detained.
I don't know why the union government is so keen to redefine what is sacred for the people of Kashmir. The sacrifices rendered on July 13 are sacred for all of us.
Denigrating these sacrifices and stopping everyone from going to the…
— Sajad Lone (@sajadlone) July 13, 2025
'Not allowed to move out of home. Detained,' Lone said. 'I don't know why the union government is so keen to redefine what is sacred for the people of Kashmir. The sacrifices rendered on July 13 are sacred for all of us. Denigrating these sacrifices and stopping everyone from going to the martyrs graveyard, if anything elevates these sacrifices to a new high. Histories that are etched in blood don't vanish.'
Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. ... Read More
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
I will bet my life, it was all scripted: PC chief Sajjad Lone
Peoples Conference chairman and Handwara legislator Sajjad Gani Lone on Monday advised J&K chief minister to step down to save the institution of chief minister and also offered to follow him Handwara legislator Sajjad Lone (File) Lone who is seen as vocal critic of J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah said today's happenings at Martyrs graveyard was all scripted and termed National Conference and the PDP as 'kings parties'. 'For a moment I was impressed. But now that you have given a ball by ball commentary of your so called struggle in reaching the Martyrs Graveyard — I will bet my life. It was all scripted,' Lone wrote on X. He also advised J&K chief minister to safeguard the institution of CM. 'I will still tell you. That the institution of CM is much bigger than the person of the incumbent CM. Please save this institution. Please step down. I will be the first person to follow you. That a security person will try to grapple or stop a chief minister is a humiliation for all of us. Don't set a precedence which others will have to follow. A precedence of humiliation.' Lone said that these choreographed events are too predictable and termed National Conference and the PDP as King's parties. 'Stop insulting the intelligence of common Kashmiri. There are two King's parties in Kashmir. One gets to have a dramatic access a day before 13 July and the second one gets access a day after 13 July. Truly magical.'
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Jammu: BJP MLAS stage protest against making Urdu language test mandatory for naib tehsildars posts
The BJP MLAs on Monday protested outside the Civil Secretariat and Assembly against the NC government for making Urdu language test mandatory for the posts of naib tehsildars in revenue department. Leader of the Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly Sunil Sharma and supporters stage a protest outside the Civil Secretariat over the issue of making Urdu a compulsory subject for the post of naib tehsildar on Monday. (ANI) The BJP has been opposing the move across Jammu for over three weeks, holding protests and rallies across at the district level. The party has warned of launching a region-wide agitation if the order is not withdrawn. However, experts stated that the government has to amend a flawed SRO 74 pertaining to recruitment rules to ensure level playing field among the job aspirants. The MLAs of the saffron party arrived at the Civil Secretariat in the morning and staged a dharna, calling the order discriminatory and detrimental to the interests of Jammu's youth. Carrying placards highlighting injustice against Jammu's youth, Dogras and other official languages of the union territory, the BJP leaders raised slogans against the government and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, accusing the part of trying to create unrest in the region. 'We are staging a dharna against the decision to make Urdu mandatory for naib tehsildar examinations in Jammu and Kashmir, which is not acceptable to us,' BJP MLA and former minister Sham Lal Sharma said. He said, 'Kashmir-centric parties, particularly the NC, have been discriminating against this region for decades. This is a fresh example of it.' Taking a swipe at the NC governments for decades-long discrimination against Jammu and its people, he said, 'We thought their discriminatory approach had changed after 2019, but it continues even today.' 'By making Urdu mandatory for such important posts in the government, the NC rulers have overruled previous provisions where knowing the language Urdu was not compulsory,' Sharma further said. 'We are holding protests to get it revoked. The matter has been brought to the notice of the Lieutenant Governor as well and memorandums have been submitted through deputy commissioners, but nothing has been done so far,' he said. Sharma said that 14 BJP MLAs had even met chief minister Omar Abdullah over the issue. 'His approach was positive. Still, no action has been taken, and tomorrow is the last day to apply for the posts.' 'They are trying to create unrest in Jammu and are forcing us to go on agitation. All 28 BJP MLAs have started it with today's two-hour-long token dharna,' he added. The former minister further said that the party will soon announce its next course of action. 'Making Urdu a compulsory subject in recruitment for naib tehsildars is a gross injustice to the youth of the Jammu region,' BJP MLA Yudhvir Sethi said, adding that such injustice will not be tolerated. 'We will not allow the repetition of such injustice,' he said and added that the move is a clear violation of equal status accorded to multiple official languages, including Dogri, Hindi, Kashmiri, Urdu and English.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Israeli strikes kill 31 in Gaza as UN agencies warn of fuel crisis
Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip overnight killed at least 31 people, according to local hospitals, as UN agencies warned that critical fuel shortages put hospitals and other critical infrastructure at risk. The latest attacks came after US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held two days of talks last week that ended with no sign of a breakthrough in negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage release. Twelve people were killed by strikes in southern Gaza, including three who were waiting at an aid distribution point on Monday, according to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, which received the bodies. Shifa Hospital in Gaza City also received 12 bodies, including three children and two women, after a series of strikes in the north, according to the hospital's director, Dr. Mohammed Abu Selmia. Al-Awda Hospital reported seven killed and 11 wounded in strikes in central Gaza. The Israeli military says it only targets militants and tries to avoid harming civilians. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in densely populated areas. Separately, three Israeli soldiers were killed in northern Gaza, according to the military. A military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said on Monday that they died in an explosion in their tank, apparently after it was hit by an anti-tank missile, though the incident was still being examined. UN agencies, including those providing food and health care, reiterated a warning made at the weekend that without adequate fuel, they "will likely be forced to stop their operations entirely". In a joint statement, they said that hospitals are already going dark and ambulances can no longer move. Without fuel, transport, water production, sanitation and telecommunications will shut down and bakeries and community kitchens cannot operate, they said. The agencies confirmed that some 1,50,000 litres of fuel entered Gaza last week the first delivery in 130 days. But they said it is "a small fraction of what is needed each day to keep daily life and critical aid operations running". "The United Nations agencies and humanitarian partners cannot overstate the urgency of this moment: fuel must be allowed into Gaza in sufficient quantities and consistently to sustain life-saving operations," they said. The agencies signing the statement were the UN humanitarian office OCHA, food agency WFP, health organisation WHO, children's agency UNICEF, the agency helping Palestinian refugees UNRWA, population agency UNFPA, development agency UNDP, and UNOPS which oversees procurement and provides management services. Israel's military said a June 19 strike killed Muhammad Nasr Ali Quneita, a senior Hamas militant who it said had taken part in the October 7, 2023, attack and held hostage Emily Damari, a dual Israeli-British citizen, in his home at the start of the war. There was no comment from Hamas and no independent confirmation. Thousands of Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel that day, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 people, most of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. The militants are still holding 50 hostages, less than half of them believed to be alive. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its tally. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and is led by medical professionals. The United Nations and other experts consider its figures to be the most reliable count of war casualties. Israel's air and ground war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and driven some 90 per cent of the population from their homes. Aid groups say they have struggled to bring in food and other assistance because of Israeli military restrictions and the breakdown of law and order, and experts have warned of famine. Israel's Knesset meanwhile voted to expel a prominent Arab lawmaker, but the measure failed to pass the threshold of 90 votes in the 120-member assembly. Seventy-three members voted in favour. The attempt to remove Ayman Odeh from parliament was related to a social media post in January in which he welcomed the release of both Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners in a Gaza ceasefire. The prisoners released in the agreement included scores of militants convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis, and rival lawmakers accused Odeh of supporting terror, allegations he denied. Many Palestinians view those imprisoned by Israel as freedom fighters jailed for resisting Israel's decades-long occupation of lands the Palestinians seek for a future state. Israel's Arab minority, which makes up some 20 per cent of the population, has citizenship, including the right to vote, but faces widespread discrimination. Its members have close family ties to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, and largely support their cause, leading many Jewish Israelis to view them with suspicion or contempt.
