SRINAGAR: J&K authorities barred Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq from leading Friday prayers at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Mosque, with Kashmir ’s chief cleric claiming this was done to stop him from mentioning the “martyrs of July 13, 1931” in his sermon. The day is significant in Kashmir’s history as 22 people were killed during an uprising against Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh.
The governing National Conference (NC), which does not control police or security in the Union territory, voiced support for Mirwaiz, calling his house arrest “deeply unfortunate and unacceptable”.
Mirwaiz confirmed the arrest but asserted that the sacrifice of “these martyrs and all martyrs since is etched in the collective memory of Kashmir and cannot not be undone by restrictions and bans”. Mirwaiz -- detained ahead of Friday prayers several times in recent months over security reasons -- vowed to visit the martyr’s graveyards on July 13 and pay homage according to “our tradition, urging the authorities to remove the restrictions.
“Silencing a religious leader, especially before July 13, dishonours not just his voice but the legacy of our martyrs. July 13 was a turning point in Kashmir’s history, a brave stand against tyranny and injustice. No bans or restrictions can erase the memory. Kashmir will always honour its martyrs with dignity, peace, and truth,” NC spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said.
This year, July 13 assumes significance as it is the first time since Article 370 ’s abrogation on Aug 5, 2019, that an elected govt is in place in J&K. On Thursday, NC had conveyed to local authorities president Farooq Abdullah’s plans to visit Mazar-e-Shuhada, the martyrs’ resting place in Srinagar’s Naqshband Sahib, on Sunday to pay tributes. NC sources said Farooq’s son and CM Omar would also visit the site.
In Jan 2020, nearly six months after the abrogation of Article 370, UT authorities had dropped July 13 and Dec 5 from the list of public holidays in J&K. Dec 5 was observed as the birth anniversary of NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. Since then, the authorities have barred official functions on July 13 at Mazar-e-Shuhada, detaining politicians, including former CMs, if necessary to keep them away.
Opposition PDP took potshots at NC over the restrictions. Spokesperson Naeem Akhtar remarked that “after abrogation of Article 370, Sheikh Abdullah was deposed and Maharaja Hari Singh resurrected by BJP”.
Akhtar accused NC of betraying the sacrifice of the July 13 martyrs by rejecting a PDP resolution during an assembly’s session this March to declare July 13 a public holiday. “What NC fails to realise is that their entire political legacy is built on the blood of those martyrs and those sacrifices they traded for the crumbs of power,” Akhtar said.
The governing National Conference (NC), which does not control police or security in the Union territory, voiced support for Mirwaiz, calling his house arrest “deeply unfortunate and unacceptable”.
Mirwaiz confirmed the arrest but asserted that the sacrifice of “these martyrs and all martyrs since is etched in the collective memory of Kashmir and cannot not be undone by restrictions and bans”. Mirwaiz -- detained ahead of Friday prayers several times in recent months over security reasons -- vowed to visit the martyr’s graveyards on July 13 and pay homage according to “our tradition, urging the authorities to remove the restrictions.
“Silencing a religious leader, especially before July 13, dishonours not just his voice but the legacy of our martyrs. July 13 was a turning point in Kashmir’s history, a brave stand against tyranny and injustice. No bans or restrictions can erase the memory. Kashmir will always honour its martyrs with dignity, peace, and truth,” NC spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said.
This year, July 13 assumes significance as it is the first time since Article 370 ’s abrogation on Aug 5, 2019, that an elected govt is in place in J&K. On Thursday, NC had conveyed to local authorities president Farooq Abdullah’s plans to visit Mazar-e-Shuhada, the martyrs’ resting place in Srinagar’s Naqshband Sahib, on Sunday to pay tributes. NC sources said Farooq’s son and CM Omar would also visit the site.
In Jan 2020, nearly six months after the abrogation of Article 370, UT authorities had dropped July 13 and Dec 5 from the list of public holidays in J&K. Dec 5 was observed as the birth anniversary of NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. Since then, the authorities have barred official functions on July 13 at Mazar-e-Shuhada, detaining politicians, including former CMs, if necessary to keep them away.
Opposition PDP took potshots at NC over the restrictions. Spokesperson Naeem Akhtar remarked that “after abrogation of Article 370, Sheikh Abdullah was deposed and Maharaja Hari Singh resurrected by BJP”.
Akhtar accused NC of betraying the sacrifice of the July 13 martyrs by rejecting a PDP resolution during an assembly’s session this March to declare July 13 a public holiday. “What NC fails to realise is that their entire political legacy is built on the blood of those martyrs and those sacrifices they traded for the crumbs of power,” Akhtar said.
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