CPI (M) pays tributes to July 13 martyrs

Naya Kashmir, drafted with blood of July 13 martyrs, dismantled on August 5, 2019

Naya Kashmir, drafted with blood of July 13 martyrs, dismantled on August 5, 2019

Srinagar, July 13:(KNS)    While paying rich tributes to July 13, 1931 martyrs, CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami Monday said Naya Kashmir which was drafted with their blood was dismantled on August 5, 2019.
It was due to the supreme sacrifices of July 13 martyrs that ultimately led a way for Naya Kashmir which is notable for its humanistic view of development. By virtue of it, J&K made significant strides including landmark Agrarian Reforms, free education to all, political and economic rights to women, upliftment of weaker sections of population, including peasants and tenets got empowered.  Similarly, it ensured the empowerment of ethnic groups, including Dalits.


The constituent assembly of Jammu and Kashmir was also the outcome of the ‘Naya Kashmir’ and J&K’s special status under Article 370 was the outcome of the struggle of the 1931 martyrs.
However, unfortunately on August 5, 2019, BJP government unilaterally dismantled whatever little was left. With a stroke of pen, J&K’s special status under Article 370 was abrogated and erstwhile state was downgraded and bifurcated into two union territories.


New narrative of BJP government is to make a ‘Naya Kashmir’ where even you are not allowed to mourn and visit the graves of the July 13 martyrs to pay homage to them. In the last two years silence of people, achieved by force, is being projected as acceptance of BJP government’s unconstitutional and arbitrary decisions. But in reality treating silence by force as acceptance is a biggest mistake.


On ground developmental activities have been halted in J&K and government employees are being terminated without being given a chance to defend themselves which is their constitutional and legal right. It is quite arbitrary. Similarly, people are not even allowed to protest over livelihood issues and issues pertaining to day-to-day life. On ground there is fear.
Perception about Delimitation Commission among people is that it has been constituted to further dis-empower them politically. Despite repeated assurances by the government, full-fledged statehood is not being restored to Jammu and Kashmir. The Supreme Court verdict is yet awaited on pleas challenging unconstitutional scrapping of J&K’s special status under Article 370.
The present government is relentlessly pursuing a policy to demolish the political significance of July 13 further. J&K administration’s decision that there will be no holiday on Martyrs’ Day on July 13 is an attempt to distort history. The movement of July 13 martyrs was peoples movement which reflected the aspirations of the entire population of J&K as the tyrannical regime was equally repressive for people of Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh. It was not the struggle of one community or one region.


 It is high time that political parties in J&K rising above ideological difference introspect as what went wrong and unitedly strive for the rights of people of erstwhile state of J&K. That would be the best tribute to the martyrs of July 13, 1931.


July 13 is commemorated as the struggle of the people of Jammu and Kashmir for upholding social justice, democratic and human values. It is a historic event and its significance will remain for future generations as well. The uprising against the tyranny and autocratic rule of Maharaja by the people laid a strong edifice for unifying the people, rising above narrow considerations that finally culminated in initiating a process of their empowerment. The supreme sacrifices by the martyrs led to the dawning of a new era in Jammu and Kashmir.(KNS)  

To Top