Srinagar: Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and several political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday claimed that they have been under house arrest to prevent them from visiting the ‘martyrs’ graveyard’ in old Srinagar.
Before the abrogation Article 370, J & K government used to observe – July 13 the ‘Martyrs day’, – as a state holiday, and all top government functionaries used to visit the ‘martyrs’ graveyard’ at Naqshband sahib to pay homage to the 22 Kashmiri people who were shot dead by the army of a Dogra ruler on this day in 1931.
Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday alleged that she was put under “house arrest”.
“The gates of my house have been locked up yet again to prevent me from visiting Mazar e Shuhada – an enduring symbol of Kashmir’s resistance & resilience against authoritarianism, oppression & injustice. The sacrifices of our martyrs is a testament that the spirit of Kashmiri’s cannot be crushed. Today even observing it in remembrance of the protesters martyred on this day has been criminalized,” Mehbooba said in a post on X.
“ On 5th August, 2019 J&K was dismembered, disempowered & stripped of everything that was sacrosanct for us. They intend to erase each one of our collective memories. But such assaults will only strengthen our determination to continue the fight for our rights & dignity,” she said.
Former chief minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah said there was “another round of locked gates & police excesses to stop people from paying homage to those who sacrificed their lives to establish a just.”
“Another 13th July, Martyr’s Day, another round of locked gates & police excesses to stop people from paying homage to those who sacrificed their lives to establish a just, fair & democratic regime in J&K. Everywhere else in the country these people would have been celebrated, but in J&K the administration wants to ignore these sacrifices. This is the last year they will be able to do this. InshaAllah next year we will mark July 13 with the solemnity & respect this day deserves,” he posted on X.
People’s Conference chairman Sajad Lone also claimed that he has been put under house arrest.
“For no reason informed of being under house arrest. I really fail to understand what the administration gets in denial and stopping people from going to the martyrs graveyard. People have a right to choose their heroes. And the martyrs are heroes for the people of Kashmir. Why be in a denial and why on earth would a non resident government need to meddle in it. Actually believing that a government will decide on what has been historically heroic and who are the historical heroes is an unambiguous sign of despotism,” Lone said in a post on X.
Several NC leaders Nasir Wani and Salman Sagar also claimed that they have been put under house arrest.
There was no official word on house arrest claims made by the politicians.
The NC’s Srinagar Member Parliament Aga Ruhullah said stopping people from paying their respects was not only disrespect to the idea of democracy but also a huge and “ugly shift” from the values over which the nation was founded.
“The moral compass of this -supposed to be a- democratic nation has gone so much wrong under this BJP regime, that it is now scared of the (13th July) martyrs in graves who gave their lives in the struggle against the ruthless monarchy and autocracy. Martyrs who gave their blood for freedom and human dignity,” Ruhullah said on X.
“The police and administration which used pay homage to those brave hearts is now told to block the ways heading towards that graveyard and put locks on the doors of those who want to go and pay their respect to those heroes. This not only is a disrespect to the idea of freedom and democracy, it also is a huge and ugly shift from the values over which this nation was founded,” he added.
Meanwhile, police on Saturday barred NC and Apni Party leaders from visiting the graveyard in old Srinagar to pay homage to the ‘martyrs’ of July 13, 1931, officials said.
Earlier this morning the Apni party leaders, headed by the party’s President Altaf Bukhari, left the party’s Sheikh Bagh office in the heart of Srinagar to visit the ‘martyrs’ graveyard, police stopped them and did not allow them to move forward.
Apni party’s General Secretary Rafi Ahmad Mir said it is disheartening to see that the administration has ended the decades-long tradition of commemorating Martyrs’ Day in Kashmir.
“It is unfortunate that we were not allowed to visit the graveyard on the anniversary of these martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the democratic rights of the people. It is disheartening to see that the administration has ended the decades-long tradition of commemorating Martyrs’ Day in Kashmir. On this day, there used to be an official function at the graveyard and a gazetted holiday in J&K on July 13 in their memory,” he said, adding,” we will continue to fight to ensure that the government respects public sentiment by restoring these traditional practices.”
Later in the day, NC leaders and workers tried to proceed to the graveyard from the party headquarters which was not allowed by the police.
