Govt distances itself from July 13?

Srinagar, July 13:The Governor and his administration Friday chose to ignore tradition and probity by doing away with the 71-year-old precedent of honouring the martyrs of 13 July, who fell to the bullets of autocratic rule in 1931.

Though on Thursday evening, the eve before the state holiday, the Governor N N Vohra did issue a message but he skipped the function of remembrance, which is usually led by the head of the state.

In another related development that has further fuelled the speculations about the ‘official status’ of July 13, a government order issued on July 12 stated that “the chief secretary shall take a meeting of the administrative secretaries on 13 July 2018 at 3:00 pm in the committee room third-floor civil secretariat Srinagar,” and directed all the administrative secretaries to attend the meeting.

This despite the day is observed as a gazetted state holiday.

It is pertinent to mention here that right-wing groups led by BJP and lately joined by some Kashmiri Pandit groups have been opposing the very idea of remembering the martyrs on this day and observance of state holiday on July 13.

BJP ministers, though part of the coalition government for the last three years, had chosen to boycott the officials function, refusing to acknowledge the martyrdom of some two dozen Kashmiris.

Jammu Bar Association equated the observance of day to “rubbing salt on the wounds of the minority community of Kashmir.”

It held protest demonstrations against government in the premises of Jammu High Court to raise demand for “abolishing” this holiday.

“Observing July 13 as martyrs’ day and public holiday is insult for peace loving nationalist forces. In fact, on this day in year 1931 some anti-social elements laid the basis for present day’s atmosphere in the valley by inciting the people for communal violence,” a spokesman of the Bar said.

July, 13 marks one of the most significant and momentous day in the political history of Jammu and Kashmir as on this day in 1931, the beginning of the end of the dynastic rule in the state was launched with nearly two dozen civilians gunned down by the forces of autocratic ruler outside city’s central jail.

From then on, the day is observed as Martyrs Day across the state and tributes are paid to those who laid their precious lives for the cause of freedom from the oppressive regime.

After 1947, when the first ‘peoples government’ was formed in Jammu and Kashmir with the then Maharaja having fled the state, handing over the reins of the administration to Sheikh Abdullah, who had emerged as the most popular leader, the observance of July, 13 was accorded an official status.

A public holiday was announced in recognition of the sacrifice of the martyrs and it was decided that an official function would be held at the Martyrs graveyard at the shrine of revered saint Hazrat Naqshband Mushkilkusha (RA) each year on this day.

A special contingent of the Armed Police, in full dress would offer salute to the martyrs and floral tributes would be paid to them on behalf of the state government.