Kashmiris in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan and across the globe will commemorate the martyrs of July 13, 1931 who laid down their lives against the oppressive Dogra regime. Besides July 13 martyrs, people who took forward the mission of Kashmiri martyrs while fighting against the Dogra regime will also be remembered who rendered supreme sacrifices against India occupation.
July 13, 1931 was a milestone in the history of Kashmir when people started a widespread agitation throughout the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in British Raj against the Dogra regime of Maharaja Hari Singh and ‘Quit Kashmir’ movement was launched.
The autocratic ruler used force against Kashmiris when a person namely Abdul Qadeer asked Kashmiri people to defy the despotic Dogra rule. And it was July 13, 1931 when the troops of Dogra rulers had killed 22 Kashmiris, one after another, outside Central Jail in Srinagar during the court proceedings against. Kashmiri outside the jail started to protest against the illegal trial of Abdul Qadeer and they, saying Azan outside prison where Dogra troops opened fire on protesting Kashmiri resultantly 22 people were martyred.
On July 13 1931, thousands of Kashmiris flocked to the central jail in Srinagar to see the trial of Abdul Qadeer. As the time for Zuhr prayers approached, a Kashmiri stood up to deliver the azaan. The Dogra governor, Raizada Tartilok Chand, ordered his soldiers to open fire on them, total of 22 Kashmiris were martyred in the firing. The people carried the dead through the streets of Maharaj Ganj, Srinagar, chanting slogans opposing Dogra brutality.
The names of 22 martyrs of July 13, 1931 are; Amir Joe Jandgoro from Gojwara, Akbar Dar from Wanata Bhawan, Ghulam Muhammad Teli from Awanta Bhawan, Muhammad Suban Rather from Awanta Bhawan, Muhammad Abdullah Ahangar from Mukhte Pukhri, Muhammad Abdullah Lone from Narbal Nowshera, Muhammad Usman Misgar from Narbal Nowshera, Abdul Khaliq Shora from Khanyar, Muhammad Ramzan Chola from Arum Masjid Khanyar, Abdul Ahad Bhat from Fateh Kadal, Muhammad Sultan Khan from Basan Bagh, Nassrudin from Chinkral Mohallah, Abdul Salam Hajam from Ganda Bal, Muhammad Akbar from Zaldagar, Ghulam Nabi Kalwal from Pandan, Muhammad Abdulkah Najar from Ownapora, Ghulam Muhammad Sofi from Daribal, Muhammad Subhan Khan from Nawab Bazar, Ghulam Muhammad Naqash from Kadi Kadal, Abdul Ghani Makai from Nawa Kadal, Ghulam Muhammad Halwai from Jamia Masjid, Ghulam Nabi Doula from Qutub Din Pora and Ghulam Qasir Butt from Bahauddin Sahib
The incident shook the state and a week-long period of mourning was observed. Traffic between Srinagar, Rawalpindi and Jammu was halted from 13 to 26 July. The violence spread to Kashmir province and Jammu; three British companies, numbering about 500 soldiers, were sent to support Maharaja Hari Singh and restore law and order. The government was not permitting any procession or funeral. The 22 Muslims were buried in the compounds of Khankahi Bahauddin Naqshband (now known as Mazar-e-Shuhada) in the old city of Srinagar.
After a few days a bridge called Sangam Kadal was burnt and a Committee of Enquiry was constituted with Sir Barjor Dalal, Chief Justice as chairman, two High Court Judges – one from both religions – and 4 committee members, including two Hindu and two Muslims, nominated by respective communities. But for some reason, the committee failed to submit any report. Hence, the government decided to publish unilateral views on disturbance.
Kashmiris were organizing rallies towards Mazar-e-Shuhada (Martyrs Graveyard) in the compound of Khanqah Naqshbandia Khwaja Bazaar in downtown Srinagar.
On this day Kashmiris across the globe are organizing processions, marches, seminars and webinars to pay tributes to martyrs of 1931.
So far the Indian forces have martyred 96,320 Kashmiris out of them 7,341 were killed in custody.
The data shown is like;
Total killings 96,320, custodial killings 7,341, civilian arrested 171,627, structures arsoned/destroyed 110,515, women widowed 22,976, children orphaned 1,07,963 and women gang-raped / molested 11,264,
After Indian BJP-led Government of Narindra Modi abrogated Articles 370 of the Indian Constitution that was giving special status to IIOJK on August 2019 the Indian forces have let loose the reign of terror in IIOJK and the figure was like; total killings 887, tortured / critically injured 2,430, civilian arrested 24,688, structures arsoned/destroyed 1,119, women widowed 68, children orphaned 185, women gang-raped / molested 133,
Under such circumstances, it is responsibility of the world conscience-keepers to take stock of the worsening situation and press India to allow Kashmiris to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination as enshrined in the United Nations Charter and United Nations Security Council resolutions.
