PDP supremo Mehbooba Mufti has urged her party’s legislators to prioritize a resolution seeking a holiday in memory of the July 13 martyrs during the upcoming budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. This move aims to restore July 13 as a gazetted holiday, commemorating the 22 men who were martyred in 1931 while protesting against the Dogra monarchy’s “oppressive rule”
The holiday was initially observed to honor these martyrs but was scrapped by the lieutenant governor-led administration after the 2019 abrogation of Article 370. The PDP views this decision as an attempt to erase the region’s historical narrative and suppress symbols of democratic struggle.
Mehbooba Mufti emphasized the significance of July 13, marking the beginning of Jammu and Kashmir’s political awakening and struggle for democratic rights. A PDP leader noted that restoring recognition for this day would reaffirm Kashmiris’ history and craving for democratic rights.
