Kashmir Remembers 1931 Martyrs
The J&K Government foiled the proposed ‘joint rally’ called by Kashmir’s separatist leaders at Martyrs’ Graveyard on Monday by imposing curfew-like restrictions in several Srinagar areas.
While mainstream politicians, including the Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and his party colleagues, made it to the Martyrs’ Graveyard at Khawaja Bazar here and paid floral tributes to the martyrs of July 13, 1931, senior separatist leaders continued to remain under house arrest to prevent them from addressing the rally.
Chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and JKLF chief Muhammad Yasin Malik had called for a joint rally to commemorate anniversary of July 13, 1931 martyrs.
Geelani, Mirwaiz, Malik, National Front chairman Nayeem Ahmad Khan and Democratic Freedom Party Chairman Shabir Ahmad Shah were put under house while scores of pro-freedom leaders were detained in police stations, reports said Monday.
Mirwaiz termed the government action of “sabotaging” ‘Youme-e-Tajdeed’ programme—jointly announced by the resistance camp to pay tributes to July 13, 1931 martyrs—as the “worst display of state-sponsored terrorism.”
Condemning imposition of curfew in parts of Srinagar and restrictions on prayers at historic Jamia Masjid and also arrest of separatist leaders, Mirwaiz said “the way government used force and arrest tactics to sabotage our programme shows the dictatorial and undemocratic attitude of the puppet rulers.”
Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Geelani was not allowed to move out of his residence and participate in the proposed joint march from Jamia Masjid to Martyrs’ Graveyard.
“Police called in more force and placed barbed wire around residence of Geelani at Hyderpora. Nobody was allowed to move out or go in,” a Hurriyat (G) spokesman said, condemning strongly the imposition of curfew-like restrictions in downtown areas and “massive crackdown” on pro-freedom camp.
Geelani termed the government action as “worst kind of the state terrorism.”
“We wanted to hold a peaceful program but the government used its full force to sabotage it. Massive arrest process was started by the state police and entire pro-freedom leadership was either detained in their houses or imprisoned in police stations,” the spokesman said.
He strongly condemned detention of the Hurriyat leaders including Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Ayaz Akbar, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Raja Mehraj-ud-din, Abdul Ahad Parra, Muhammad Ashraf Laya, Syed Imtiyaz Hyder, Muhammad Ramzan Khan, Molvi Bashir, Muhammad Yaseen Attai, Imtiyaz Ahmad Shah, Khazir Muhammad Ganai, Abdul Rasheed Lone, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Abdur Rasheed Dar and Manzoor Ahmad Lilhari.
Geelani said arrests and jails “will not deter us from pursuing our just cause and we will continue to raise our voice against the forced and illegal occupation of Kashmir.”
Lashing out at mainstream political parties, Geelani, according to the party spokesman, said NC, PDP, PC, Congress and BJP are same and have made a “sellout with the blood of the martyrs and these parties are equally responsible for the bloodshed of the common Kashmiris.”
Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik, called July 13 as a glorious day in Kashmir history. “This was the day when Kashmiris raised their voice against illegal occupation, oppressive regime and tyranny and dozens of Kashmiris endured bullets and refused to bow before the forces of falsehood,” he said in a statement. “The present struggle is actually in continuation to the struggle started in 1931.”
Malik is under house arrest from last two days while JKLF zonal president Noor Muhammad Kalwal and district president Kupwara Rafiq Ahmad War have also been arrested by police, reports said.
Senior Hurriyat (M) leader Mukhtar Ahmad Waza was arrested and lodged in Sherbagh police station while ‘raids’ were conducted on residences of party leaders and workers, the party spokesman said.
Javaid Ahmad Mir and Engineer Hilal Ahmad War and many party workers were arrested and lodged at Kothibagh Police station when they were getting ready to take out a procession, he said.
Police also detained National Front chairman Nayeem Ahmad Khan at his residence and stopped him from reaching Martyrs’ Graveyard.
Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) chairman Shabir Ahmad Shah was also arrested by police outside his party office he tried to break police cordon march towards martyrs’ graveyard, a party spokesperson said in a statement. “Apart from Shah, police arrested Engineer Farooq Ahmad Khan, Mukhtar Ahmad Sofi and dozens of party activists.”
Police also foiled rally organized by Muslim League Jammu Kashmir headed by incarcerated separatist leader Masrat Alam Bhat to commemorate the anniversary of martyrs of July 13, 1931.
Senior resistance leader and Jammu and Kashmir Peoples League vice-chairman Muhammad Yaseen Attie along with Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leaders was arrested near DC office in Srinagar when they were leading a protest rally and moving towards Martyrs’ Graveyard, a party spokesman said.
Jammu and Kashmir Salvation Movement (JKSM) chairman Zaffar Akbar Bhat, who has put under house arrest, paid glowing tributes to martyrs of July 13, 1931.
Pertinently, Kashmir remembered martyrs of July 13, 1931, even as the government enforced undeclared curfew in old Srinagar.
22 Kashmiris were martyred by soldiers of Maharaja Hari Singh after people rose against the autocratic ruler.
Unlike previous years, shops and business establishments remained open in Kashmir as pro-freedom leaders had not called for strike in view of holy month of Ramadan. However, schools and government offices remained closed as State observes July 13 as a holiday.
Since Monday morning, heavy contingents of police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were deployed in lanes and by-lanes of Srinagar to thwart any protest demonstrations. Undeclared curfew was imposed under the jurisdiction of six police stations that include Khanyar, Rainawari, Nowhatta, MR Gunj, Safakadal and Maisuma.
In Khanyar area of old Srinagar, where the Martyrs’ Graveyard is located, police and CRPF laid razor wires and erected barricades at road junctions from Sunday evening to stop the movement of people.
Besides fortification of the area around the graveyard, armored vehicles of police and CRPF were also seen at road junctions.
Residents of Khanyar said when they woke up Monday morning, there were only police and CRPF men around. They said forces did not make any announcement of curfew but they were forced to stay indoors.
Uptown areas of Srinagar also witnessed heavy deployment of police and CRPF since Monday morning. “The day passed off peacefully,” a police official said here.
