APHC leaders pay tribute to Kashmiri Martyrs of 13 July 1931
Srinagar : The All Parties Hurriyat Conference leaders, paying glowing tributes to the martyrs of July 13, 1931, and other martyrs, have reiterated the Kashmiris’ resolve to carry forward the freedom movement until it reaches its logical conclusion.
According to Kashmir Media Service, on July 13, 1931, the troops of the Dogra Maharaja killed 22 Kashmiris, one after another, outside Central Jail in Srinagar during court proceedings against Abdul Qadeer, who had asked the Kashmiri people to defy the despotic Dogra rule. At the time of Namaz-e-Zuhr, a young man started calling the Azaan and was shot dead by Dogra soldiers.
Another youth took his place and was also martyred by the troops. Thus, 22 youth sacrificed their lives until the completion of the Azaan. Since then, Kashmiris have been observing July 13 as Kashmir Martyrs’ Day every year.
Illegally detained APHC leaders, including Chairman Masarrat Alam Butt, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Bilal Siddiqi, and others, in their separate messages from jails, described July 13, 1931, as an important event in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. They maintained that the Kashmiri people have been rendering sacrifices to get rid of oppression for the past 95 years. They said history stands witness to the fact that Kashmiris have always resisted oppression. They maintained that young Kashmiris, following in the footsteps of the martyrs of July 13, are laying down their lives and keeping the candle of freedom burning.
The messages said the martyrs of July 13, 1931, raised their voice against Dogra imperialism and shed their holy blood to convey the message that the Kashmiri people do not accept slavery. They said Dogra imperialism finally ended, and just like that, Brahmin imperialism will also meet its end. The messages pointed out that the blood of nations engaged in struggle against tyrants has never been in vain, and the struggling Kashmiris will also see the realization of their dream of freedom.
The leaders, stressing the need for an early and amicable resolution of the Kashmir dispute, said that a just solution to the lingering dispute was imperative to ensure durable peace and to end the looming and ever-present threat of nuclear war between Pakistan and India.
