NEW DELHI: The contentious history of July 13, 1931, which is observed as “Martyrs’ Day” in India-occupied Kashmir, triggered a political battleline in the legislative assembly’s budget session on Wednesday when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members staged a walkout, The Wire said.

It said all 28 BJP members walked out of the assembly after Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather expunged remarks made by the Leader of the Opposition, Sunil Sharma of BJP, after he described the 22 Kashmiris killed by Dogra forces in July 1931 as “traitors”.

Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condemned Sharma’s “outrageous remarks”, saying that the 22 Kashmiri Muslims were “killed in cold blood for standing up for the rights and dignity of the oppressed people of Jammu and Kashmir”.

On July 13, 1931, thousands of Kashmiris had gathered at the central jail in Srinagar to witness the trial of Abdul Qadeer, who was arrested for calling for an uprising against the Dogra rulers. Soldiers opened fire on the gathering and killed 22 Kashmiris.

The slain were buried in Srinagar’s Mazar-i-Shuhada (martyrs’ graveyard).

Before New Delhi revoked occupied Kashmir’s special status on Aug 5, 2019, both the ruling and the opposition political parties used to gather at the historic place every year on July 13 to pay tributes.

Speaking in a discussion on the motion of thanks to the lieutenant governor’s address on Wednesday, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Waheed Parra sought restoration of July 13 as a public holiday.

The PDP leader urged the legislature to declare Dec 5, the birthday of the ruling National Conference (NC) founder Sheikh Abdullah, as a public holiday. He ignored attempts by some BJP members to disrupt his speech.

Both the days — July 13 and Dec 5 — were removed from the list of public holidays after New Delhi downgraded the status of occupied Kashmir to a union territory in 2019.

“Unless July 13 is declared as a public holiday to honour the Muslim martyrs of Kashmir, BJP won’t be able to do any justice (with J&K). Their sacrifices were for democracy and for India. It is because of these sacrifices that we are able to stand up in this house,” Waheed Parra, the PDP leader, said. He urged the speaker to restore the two holidays.

Terming July 13 as the “most precious day” in history and a “day for democracy against Dogra monarchy”, Parra said the 22 men had laid down their lives for restoring the democratic rights of all the people, including the Hindus of Jammu.

He called upon the speaker to allow debate on issues which affect the mass of people. “Jammu and Kashmir has been demoted to a municipality. If, as a custodian of this house, you won’t allow debate, its result will be more violence and separatism. Pakistan will become strong if people of J&K are choked,” he said.

A resolution seeking restoration of the public holiday on July 13 has been already submitted by the PDP leader to the assembly secretariat.

However, after Parra finished his speech, BJP leader Sharma objected to the resolution, saying the 22 Kashmiri Muslims killed by the Dogra forces were “not martyrs but traitors”.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2025