SRINAGAR, Jul 12: Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) President and former Minister Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen on Sunday paid tributes to the martyrs of July 13, 1931, describing their sacrifice as a historic struggle against injustice, oppression and arbitrary rule. He also appealed to the government to restore the July 13 public holiday and allow people to pay homage at the Mazar-e-Shuhada in Srinagar.
In a statement issued here, Hakeem Yaseen said the July 13 martyrs fought against injustice and exploitation in the same spirit in which Indians resisted British colonial rule during the freedom movement.
“Their martyrdom symbolised the people’s resistance against injustice, illegal taxation and oppressive policies. Their sacrifice occupies an important place in the history of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
The PDF President stated that the martyrs fought for the dignity, rights and a brighter future of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. According to him, their struggle played an important role in shaping the political consciousness of the region and contributed to the developments that eventually culminated in the accession of Jammu and Kashmir with the Union of India in 1947.
“The July 13 martyrs were neither against any country nor against any community. Their struggle was for justice, dignity and the welfare of the people,” Yaseen said.
He urged the government to recognise the historical significance of July 13 by restoring the public holiday that had been observed in Jammu and Kashmir since 1947. He also appealed to the authorities to permit people to visit the Mazar-e-Shuhada in downtown Srinagar to pay peaceful tributes to the martyrs.
Hakeem Yaseen said the people of Jammu and Kashmir are peaceful, patriotic and law-abiding citizens who respect the nation while seeking the protection and restoration of their legitimate rights.
Reiterating his party’s stand, the PDF President maintained that commemorating the July 13 martyrs was not directed against the Constitution or any community but was an acknowledgement of what he described as a historic struggle for justice, dignity and democratic rights.