Martyrs' Day tensions in Srinagar as graveyard sealed, leaders under house arrest

India Today

13-07-2025

Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir imposed a partial lockdown in Srinagar on Sunday, preventing political leaders and the public from assembling at the Martyrs' Graveyard on the anniversary of the 1931 killings that are commemorated as Martyrs' Day in the region.The Jammu and Kashmir Police, along with Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), sealed off access to Khawaja Bazar, home to the Mazaar-e-Shuhada, where 22 Kashmiris were buried after being gunned down by Maharaja Hari Singh's forces in 1931.advertisementAccording to reports, the area was heavily barricaded, with checkpoints and restrictions in place throughout Srinagar to thwart any attempts at gathering.
The move came amid renewed calls by political parties for the official restoration of July 13 as Kashmir Martyrs' Day, which was discontinued as a public holiday after Jammu and Kashmir's special status was revoked in 2019.Leaders from major Kashmir-based political parties, including the ruling National Conference (NC), opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and J&K Apni Party (JKAP), were placed under house arrest ahead of planned visits to the graveyard to pay homage.Officials in the district administration said that no permissions were granted for visits to the cemetery, citing concerns over law and order.'Since last night, I, like many of my colleagues including the party leadership at Gupkar... have been locked inside my home,' said NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq on X. 'Such actions are not only unnecessary, they are unjustified, deeply insensitive, and reveal a troubling disregard for history.'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.This is not just unfortunate; it is a deliberate attempt to suppress remembrance and deny pic.twitter.com/R6fycmrCMr— Tanvir Sadiq (@tanvirsadiq) July 13, 2025PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday posted photos of her locked gate on social media, accusing the administration of attempting to erase collective memory.On Sunday, Mufti tweeted, 'When you lay siege to the Martyrs' Graveyard, lock people in their homes to prevent them from visiting Mazaar-e-Shuhada, it speaks volumes. The day you accept our heroes as your own just as Kashmiris have embraced yours... the 'dil ki doori' (distance of hearts) will truly end.'
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also condemned the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha-led administration's actions, calling them 'blatantly undemocratic.''Homes have been locked from the outside, police and central forces deployed as jailers, and major bridges in Srinagar blocked,' Abdullah wrote on X. 'All to stop people from visiting a historically important graveyard... I will never understand what the Law & Order government is so afraid of.'
In another hard-hitting post, the NC leader said, "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."Security forces were deployed in strength across Srinagar, with several roads sealed and surveillance intensified as part of the sweeping restrictions.The observance of Kashmir Martyrs' Day, once an official state holiday, has grown increasingly politically sensitive. While many mainstream parties in the Valley regard the 1931 martyrs as symbols of resistance and democratic aspiration, the BJP-led government has distanced itself from the legacy.- EndsMust Watch