Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 12: Several Kashmir based politicians and political parties have paid tribute to those killed on July 13, 1931 during a protest against then Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir.
National Conference President and Member of Parliament from Srinagar Dr Farooq Abdullah and NC Vice President Omar Abdullah paid glowing tributes to the martyrs of 1931, saying the day marked the inauguration of struggle of Jammu and Kashmir against oppression and discrimination.
“The brave men who laid their lives on the 13th of July 1931 belonged to a generation of wisdom, and vision. It was them who saw in darkness and despair a vision for the forthcoming generations, they envisioned a society free from bondage, discrimination and oppression. Every year we invocate, remember the supreme sacrifice of the martyrs of July 13, 1931, the idea behind remembering them is not merely an act of reminiscing past, memorializing, there is more to it , on this day we galvanize our lives with their mission as was done by Sher-e-Kashmir all through his life,” they said.
Paying glowing tributes to the July 13, 1931 martyrs, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said the day shall always be remembered as a turning point in the history of J&K that marked the beginning of a struggle for democracy and social justice in the region. Bukhari said the struggle invigorated by the sacrifices of July 13 martyrs was principally not a movement against any particular clan or dynasty but against the autocracy which had become a huge hurdle in building a new society, free from exploitation and repression.
Senior CPI (M) leader, Mohd Yusuf Tarigami, while remembering the martyrs, said it is time to introspect and unitedly strive for the rights of the people of J&K. “J&K has a glorious tradition of societal harmony which has survived many challenges. Those elements who are trying to shatter the secular and plural ethos of J&K should not be allowed to succeed in their nefarious designs. Martyr’s Day serves as a reminder to protect and promote the rights of people and their dignity,” he said and alleged that there are attempts by communal force to undermine the historic significance of this day.
While paying glowing tributes to the martyrs of 13th July 1931, Peoples Conference senior vice president and former minister Abdul Gani Vakil said that their valiant sacrifices would continue to inspire people of J&K to fight for their rights, dignity and justice. Stating that the sense of servility that a Kashmiri has been subjected to today is no different than what the rulers in 1931 did, Vakil said: “Our struggle today is the same. The present day rulers have left the monarchy well behind in their unquenchable thirst to disempower and humiliate Kashmiris.”
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also paid glowing tributes to the July 13 martyr, stating that their role in Jammu and Kashmir’s freedom struggle can neither be undone nor can be forgotten. PDP spokesman, in a statement, said that the memory of 13th July martyrs cannot be erased by changing the Government calendar of holidays as they will live forever in the hearts and memories of every freedom loving democrat.
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