The plight of inopportune Kashmiris is a never ending saga. Like 26th October and 5th February there are many other dates also associated to the Kashmir freedom movement. One more historical day was 13 July 1931, a day that was not only a mile stone but a turning point in the history of Kashmir. That was the day when the Kashmiris bluntly spelled their hate and revulsion against tyranny and oppression and ever since then, every day in the Valley is 13th July.
As aforesaid that the dilemma of Kashmiris is a compilation of dates while 13th July is just another important date in the resistance of Kashmir. It is by no means the date when resistance started in Kashmir. There have been incidents of equal importance before this date like the deal between the East India Company and Maharaja Ghulab Singh, merely for rupees seventy-five lacs in 1846. Hence, July 13th, 1931 was by no way the start of people’s movement against Dogra aristocracy and oppression as some historians seem to have chosen this date to mark it so. However, it was certainly the turning point in freedom movement.
It was the Maharaja and his forces’ highhandedness that forced the people to turn against them in 1865. The Kashmiris, mostly the Muslims were marginalized and persecuted. Severe taxes; almost 300% was imposed on the Kashmiri working classes which was hundred percent Muslims, and these taxes ended pushing the commoners to dispossession and poverty. Among other oppressive tactics, ruining of Shawl industry was one, which the weavers, having no other option available were ultimately compelled to close but were not allowed to, by the State. Those who tried to flee the trade were heavily fined or sentenced the imprisonments. The struggle didn’t die during all that time.
On 19th April 1931, the Dogra DIG Chowdry Ram Chand stopped Imam Munshi Muhammad Ishaq from giving Eid Khutba (Sermon) in the Municipal Park of Jammu. The incident sparked off widespread protest demonstrations in Jammu city. Ban on Eid Sermon in Jammu was followed by desecration of the Holy Quran at the hands of Dogra troops, which further aggravated the situation throughout the State. In Srinagar, people gathered in Jamia Masjid Srinagar to denounce desecration act and demand severe punishment to the culprits,. While listening to speeches of Kashmiri leasers a youth Abdul Qadeer pointed his finger to the Maharaja’s palace and raised full-throated slogans “destroy its every brick”. He was immediately arrested on the charges of sedition. Later, he was to be tried in the court but due to possible public reaction, the court was shifted to Central Jail Srinagar. On 12th July, violent public demonstrations were held throughout the city against the shifting of the court to the Central jail, Srinagar.
However, eighty eight years later 13th July 1931 had its own significance as it announced another start of a prevalent movement against the Dogra aristocracy. The things started with the address of an unknown and non-political figure Abdul Qadir to the protesters who gathered at the central mosque in Srinagar against the Dogra rule, on June 25th. His speech drew huge support from the public who had been subjected to centuries of tyrannical and primitive domination. Abdul Qadir was arrested immediately by Dogra soldiers, and was tried at the Srinagar Central Jail on 13th July. When common Kashmiris gathered to protest against his prosecution, they were fired upon by Dogra forces killing a large number of people, some claim 21, others 22 and few believes that the martyrs were 23, however through cyber research an authentic list of 28 people is found where their names have also been mentioned. Such brutal action by the Dogra forces was repeated across Srinagar, coming down heavily against other protests across the city and painting the city with blood. The incident shook the whole State and the traffic from Srinagar to Rawalpindi and to Jammu was halted from 13th to 26th July. That’s why the martyrs’ day is remembered every year, in the memory of those fallen heroes of July 13th, 1931.
It was the result of the above episode that Kashmiri leadership realized the need to form a political party i.e. Muslims Conference (MC) with a view to wage struggle for their freedom. Later in 1934, States first elections were held and Muslim Conference won 16 out of 21 seats and after two years in 1936 it succeeded in getting 19 out of 21 seats. Indian Congress was upset with this result and tried to create division in the ranks of Kashmiri leadership. On 19 July 1947, MC after considering geographical proximity, majority of Muslim population (80%) religion language and cultural relations, passed resolution to merge Kashmir with Pakistan.
It’s heart-moving to observe that despite a period of 88 years, the Kashmiris are still struggling and sacrificing to achieve their alienable right under UN resolutions for the plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmir Valley is one of the most heavily militarized regions in the world with 7 Lakh armed security forces, who indulge in indiscriminate killings forced disappearances, rapes and maiming innocent youth and women.
