Altaf Hamid Rao.
MIRPUR (AJK), (Parliament Times) : Mammoth gatherings paid glorious tributes to the martyrs of Jammu & Kashmir including 23 valiant sons of the soil for laying down the supreme sacrifices of their precious lives 91 years ago this day (July 13) in 1931 in front of Central Jail Srinagar raising mutiny by laying the foundation stone of the movement for liberation of the motherland from against the despotic Dogra rule.
Our Special AJK Correspondent Altaf Hamid Rao reports from Mirpur that the Jammu & Kashmir State people living at both sides of the Line of Control – Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Indian Illegally occupied Jammu Kashmir besides rest of the world observed the 92nd Kashmir Martyrs Day on Tuesday with the renewal of the pledge to continue the grand mission of the Kashmiri martyrs through continuing the freedom struggle, with full vigor, for the achievement of the birth right of self determination and for the liberation of Illefal occupied Jammu & Kashmir from the tyrannical Indian rule.
Special prayers meetings, symposiums were the hallmark of the Kashmir Martyrs Day across Azad Jammu & Kashmir as well as at various places in the strife-torn Indian occupied Kashmir valley and rest of the world to observe the day.
It was on this day in 1931 when the Dogra troops had shot dead 23 Kashmiris in front of the Central Jail Srinagar. A large number of people had gathered outside the jail protesting against the trial of a young man – Abdul Qadeer for treason inside the prison located in the highly security zone.
It so happened when the time of Azan was due. While staging protest one of the protesters started reciting Azan. He was immediately gunned down by Maharajas forces even when he had not finished Azan. The second protesting man continued with Azan and he was also knocked down with bullets by Maharajas troops. In short span of time 23 people were martyred who continued Azan till the end laying down their lives. It shows valour of freedom n Emaan of valiant Kashmiris.
In Azad Jammu Kashmir, it was the state holiday to facilitate the people to participate in the events of the day from allover the liberated territory. This year too, the Kashmir Martyrs Day was flanked by a sign of a new hope, that if India agrees to the ground realities without any reservations and learn a lesson from the historical facts that she (New Delhi) cannot rule Kashmiris at gun point, may help bring a lasting peace and prosperity in the region through the early peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue in line with the aspirations of the people of entire internationally-acknowledged Jammu & Kashmir state.
In Indian Illegally occupied Jammu Kashmir State, a complete shutter down strike was observed against the forced and illegal Indian occupation of bulk part of the Jammu Kashmir State. People visited the graveyards of the Shuhada in Srinagar and other places and offered fateha – besides hold special prayer meetings for the upholding of the status of the martyrs in heaven.
The people of Jammu and Kashmir from both sides of the LoC have attached great hopes for the early settlement of the much-delayed Kashmir problem in line with the wishes of its basic stake-holders – the people of Jammu & Kashmir through peaceful means by both India and Pakistan under the spirit of the international norms and commitments especially through an internationally committed plebiscite under the United Nations resolutions.
In the liberated territory of AJK, people from all walks of life held special prayer meeting besides staging rallies and seminars to pay rich tributes to Kashmiri martyrs to mark the day.
Special Kashmir Martyrs Day meetings were held at almost all the district and tehsil head quarters including Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bagh, Rawalakot, Sudhanoti, Neelam valley, Haveili, Hattiyan and Bhimbher and all other small and major towns and cities under the spirit of various social, political and religious Kashmiri outfits besides the civil society belonging to all spheres of life including the business community, lawyers and the media groups in various parts of the state.
Addressing these special functions speakers paid rich tributes to the Kashmiris martyrs of 1931 who were gunned down by the then dogra rulers outside the Central Jail Srinagar for raising voice for the liberation of the motherland from the Dogra yoke.
Speaking on the sideline of special prayer meeting to mark the Kashmir Martyrs Day held in Mirpur Tuesday morning with Deputy Commissioner / Chairman National Events Organising Committee, speakers including DC Ch. Amjad Iqbal and others strongly condemned the continual reign of state terrorism and violence unleashed by the Indian occupational forces in Srinagar and rest of the bleeding occupied valley since last six years where hundreds of innocent Kashmiris including the young Commander of Hisb ul Mujahideen Burhan Muzaffar Wani were martyred since July 8 in 2016 for raising voice for the liberation of the motherland from Indian clutches. They paid glorious tributes shaheed Burhan and other kashmiri martyrs for laying down the supreme sacrifices of their lives for the noble cause of freedom from the forcible Indian bondages.
The gathering prayed for upholding of the status of the Jammu and Kashmir martyrs including those 23 brave kashmiris who sacrificed their lives paving the way to launch the struggle for freedom of the motherland from the despotic Dogra and later the current unlawful Indian illegal occupation.
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DAY IN MILIEU:
The Kashmir Martyrs’ Day, or Youme Shuhada-e-Kashmir is observed on July 13 every year not only on both sides of the Line of Control but also all over the world by the Kashmiris to pay homage to 23 Kashmiris who were martyred in 1931 to free Kashmir from the brutalities of despotic Dogra rulers. The tragic day is the milestone in the advent of the Kashmiris struggle against foreign occupation which still continues under the Indian alien rule.
The history of Dogra rule (1846-1947) in Kashmir is replete with brutal treatment, perpetrated on the Kashmiri Muslims by Dogra forces. Under their rule, the life was made so terrible and miserable for the Muslims that it was difficult to differentiate them from beasts. Slave labour, heavy taxes, capital punishment for cow slaughter, and living under constant state-terror was order of the day.
On July 13, 1931, thousands of people crowded the Central Jail, Srinagar, to witness the in-camera trial of Abdul Qadeer. As the time for obligatory prayer approached, a young Kashmiri stood for azan. The Dogra Governor, Ray Zada Tartilok Chand ordered soldiers to open fire at him. When he got martyred, another young man took his place and resumed the Azan from the verse it was broken following the martyrdom of first Kashmiri speaker of the Azan. He was also shot dead. In this way, 22 Kashmiris embraced martyrdom in their efforts to complete the azan.
The people carried the dead and paraded through the streets of Srinagar, chanting slogans against Dogra brutalities. Complete strike was observed in the city, which was followed by weeklong mourning. This tragic incident shook the whole state and the traffic from Srinagar to Rawalpindi and Srinagar to Jammu came to halt from July 13 to 26, 1931. The 22 martyrs are buried in Martyrs’ Graveyard at Khawaja Bazar,Srinagar.
The atrocities against the Kashmiri Muslims did not stop even after the partition of the sub continent or United Hindustan. The human rights record of Indian government in the Indian-occupied Kashmir has been terrible and is characterized by arbitrary arrests, torture, rape and extrajudicial killings.
Since 1989 when liberation of Kashmir entered a new phase, Indian military troops have been using all inhuman tactics of ethnic cleansing to disturb the majority population of the Kashmiris.
Today’s Kashmir presents the worst possible case of state terrorism where Indian forces threaten to eliminate entire masses engaged in demanding implementation of the UN resolutions. Various methods of state terrorism such as breaking the leg, burning of a village, custodial killings, etc., are mercilessly used against the innocent Kashmirirs, demanding their legitimate right of freedom. More than half of a million Jammu & Kashmir people have been massacred by the Indian military troops and security agencies so far during last 75 years.
Nevertheless, observance of Kashmiris’ freedom struggle on the Kashmir Martyrs’ Day on July 13, every year is reaffirmation of the fact that Kashmiris will continue to fight against Indian illegitimate occupation. In this connection, Youme Shuhada-e-Kashmir is an ideal day for the people of Jammu & Kashmir to seek inspiration to carry their struggle for freedom to its logical end. At this time of distress, the people of Pakistan and AJK side with the oppressed ones in sharing the grief of Kashmiri freedom lovers.
To reiterate full solidarity with the Kashmiri brethren, entire Pakistani nation and the government also observe Youme Shudaha-e-Kashmir, launching a protest against the continual oppressive and unlawful Indian rule over bulk of the internationally-occupied Jammu Kasmir State.
The Kashmir Martyrs Day is also a message for Indians that if the people of Kashmir did not bow down their heads before the tyranny of Dogra rule, as to how they will succumb to the despotic Indian rule.