Mirwaiz said the anniversary should be observed by offering prayers and paying homage to those buried at the Martyrs’ Graveyard (Mazar-e-Shuhada) at Naqshband Sahib in Srinagar. According to details received by The Chenab Times, he made the remarks in a post on social media platform X, where he said the July 13 martyrs had laid the foundation of the people’s struggle through their “supreme sacrifice.”
In his post, Mirwaiz said, “With deep emotion and reverence we pay our respects and glorious tributes to our first Martyrs, who 95 years ago on this day, by their supreme sacrifice laid the foundation of the people’s struggle for justice, dignity and human rights.”
He further alleged that authorities had blocked roads leading to the Martyrs’ Graveyard and imposed restrictions around Srinagar’s historic Jama Masjid to prevent people from visiting the site. Mirwaiz also claimed that he had once again been placed under house arrest ahead of the commemoration. Authorities had not immediately responded publicly to these specific allegations.
Describing the restrictions as unfortunate, Mirwaiz said people in Jammu and Kashmir were being prevented from offering fatiha and paying homage to the martyrs. He added that while graveyards could be sealed, roads blocked and people confined, the memory of the martyrs would continue to remain alive in the hearts of the people.
Mirwaiz concluded his message by offering prayers for those who died, saying, “May Allah grant them and all the Shuhada-e-Jammu Kashmir the highest place in Jannah. Ameen.”
The July 13 anniversary marks the remembrance of people who were killed outside the Srinagar Central Jail in 1931 during protests in the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. The date continues to hold political and historical significance in the Kashmir Valley and has remained a sensitive occasion, with restrictions and differing political narratives surrounding its observance in recent years.
The Chenab Times News Desk