Mirwaiz Umar Farooq pays glowing tributes to July 13, 1931 martyrs
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), senior All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has paid glowing tributes to the martyrs of July 13, 1931, saying their unparalleled sacrifices will forever remain etched in the collective memory of the Kashmiri people.
According to Kashmir Media Service, addressing the Friday congregation at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, Mirwaiz said July 13 marks the martyrdom anniversary of 21 innocent Kashmiris who were shot dead by the forces of the then autocratic Dogra regime while demanding their basic rights.
He said the supreme sacrifices of the July 13 martyrs laid the foundation for the people of Jammu and Kashmir’s struggle for human rights and dignity.
Mirwaiz said it had long been a tradition to hold a peaceful procession to the Martyrs’ Graveyard every year to pay homage to the martyrs and renew the pledge to carry forward the mission for which they laid down their lives. However, he regretted that in recent years, every attempt to commemorate the martyrs had been thwarted by the authorities through restrictions, including his repeated house detention and the withdrawal of the official public holiday observed on July 13.
Despite these measures, he said, the unmatched sacrifices of the martyrs would continue to inspire generations, and the people of Jammu and Kashmir would always remember them as valiant champions of their rights and dignity.
Mirwaiz said if authorities allow, people would proceed to the Martyrs’ Graveyard at Naqshband Sahib after Zuhr prayers on July 13 to offer Fateha and pay homage to the martyrs.
He said he had also received an invitation from Dr. Farooq Abdullah to participate in the National Conference’s protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
Mirwaiz said that any sincere initiative by a political alliance, organization or individual for the restoration of the rights of the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir was the need of the hour.
He, however, stressed that it was the foremost responsibility of the National Conference government to fulfill the promises it had made to the people, who had given it a clear mandate on the assurance that it would take effective steps to restore IIOJK’s pre-August 5, 2019 constitutional status, including statehood and the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A.
He said the movement should not be confined to the restoration of statehood alone but should also seek the reinstatement of all constitutional safeguards and rights taken away from the people of the occupied territory.
Mirwaiz further said the campaign should also demand justice for political prisoners and Kashmiri youth who have remained incarcerated for years without trial or continue to be detained despite having been granted bail.
