Police deny permission to J&K parties, including NC, to visit slain civilians' graveyard of 1931 uprising in Srinagar
'The District Administration Srinagar has denied permission to all applicants intending to proceed towards Khawaja Bazar, Nowhatta on 13th July 2025 (Sunday). The General Public is hereby advised to strictly comply with these instructions and refrain from violating the orders issued by District Administration,' the police said in a statement.
Any violation of these orders shall invite strict legal action under relevant provisions of law, the police warned.
July 13, 1931, is observed as 'Martyrs Day' in J&K to commemorate the killing of 22 civilians who were shot dead in a rebellion against the Dogra monarchy. It used to be an official holiday in J&K but was dropped by the L-G following the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 in 2019.
Several regional parties, including the ruling NC, had sought permission for their delegations to be allowed to visit the graveyard located on the premises of Naqsband Sahib shrine in the old city and pay tributes at the graves.
'Profound history'
NC leader Tanvir Sadiq termed the decision of the Lieutenant Governor's administration as 'deeply unfortunate'. 'The day has a profound historical and emotional significance for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the District Administration has chosen to bar peaceful tributes to the martyrs of 13th July 1931 at Khawaja Bazar, Nowhatta. July 13 is not a routine date, it is a solemn reminder of the sacrifices made in the pursuit of dignity, justice, and rights,' Mr. Sadiq said.
He said denying people the space to remember their martyrs is fundamentally unjust. 'We urge the administration to reflect on the gravity of this decision. No order can suppress memory. No restriction can erase the truth,' Mr. Sadiq added.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti visited the graveyard on Saturday afternoon to pay floral tributes to the deceased civilians.
'Knowing that tomorrow we'd be prevented from moving out, we managed to pay tributes to our martyrs who laid down their lives on 13th July 1931 for democracy. Their memory is being wilfully erased yet their voices echo in every Kashmiri's heart that refuses to bow and dares to hope,' Ms. Mufti said.
Mirwaiz's view
Meanwhile, Kashmir's chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said he was placed under 'arbitrary house detention for the second day on Saturday'. In a statement, the Mirwaiz said those who laid down their lives in 1931 had done so for a noble cause and pursuit of the realisation of the basic rights of the people of Kashmir under autocratic and discriminatory rule. 'Their sacrifices are unforgettable and will always be remembered,' the Mirwaiz said.
The BJP has said the civilians who died in the 1931 uprising were not 'rioters'. 'Our stand is clear, those who sacrificed their lives for the nation are the martyrs of India and J&K,' BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Ali Khatana said.
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