Srinagar: The Spokesperson of the Jammu Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP), Advocate Arshad Iqbal, paid glowing tribute to the martyrs of 13 July 1931, describing the day as a defining and unforgettable chapter in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. He said that on this historic day, 22 Kashmiri Muslims laid down their lives in defiance of the autocratic Dogra rule while standing for justice, religious freedom, human dignity, and the political rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Advocate Arshad Iqbal stated that when a young man was shot while calling the Azan (Islamic call to prayer), another stepped forward to continue it, followed by another after he too was martyred. In this extraordinary act of courage and sacrifice, twenty-two young men embraced martyrdom before the Azan was completed, demonstrating that the people of Jammu and Kashmir would never surrender before tyranny and oppression.
Advocate Arshad Iqbal said that the sacrifices of the martyrs of 13 July 1931 inspired generations of Kashmiris to continue their peaceful struggle for justice and the right to self-determination. He further stated that during the 1947 Jammu massacres, more than 250,000 Muslims were killed, while since the beginning of the popular uprising in 1989, more than 100,000 Kashmiris have lost their lives. Thousands have been subjected to enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, prolonged imprisonment, and arbitrary detention, while countless families continue to suffer the devastating human consequences of the unresolved conflict.
The spokesperson said that the situation deteriorated further after 5 August 2019, when India's government revoked the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir, abolished the official holiday commemorating the Martyrs' Day of 13 July, and imposed restrictions on visits to the Martyrs' Graveyard and peaceful commemorative gatherings. Political leaders, activists, and youth continue to face arrests, detention, and restrictions aimed at preventing people from paying tribute to their martyrs. However, he emphasized that history cannot be erased through coercion, nor can the sacrifices of the martyrs be removed from the collective memory of the Kashmiri people.
Advocate Arshad Iqbal said that the martyrs of 13 July 1931, the victims of the 1947 Jammu massacres, and all those who have sacrificed their lives since 1989 are part of one continuous historical struggle for justice, freedom, and the realization of the internationally recognized right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
He called upon the international community, the United Nations, international human rights organizations, and other influential global institutions to take meaningful steps to address the grave human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir, secure the release of political prisoners, restore fundamental civil liberties, and facilitate a peaceful and just resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspirations of its people.
In conclusion, Advocate Arshad Iqbal reaffirmed that the Jammu Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party pays its profound tribute to the martyrs of 13 July 1931, the victims of the 1947 Jammu massacres, and all those who have sacrificed their lives since 1989, pledging that their sacrifices will never be forgotten and that the Party will continue its peaceful and democratic struggle for justice, human rights, lasting peace, and the realization of the Kashmiri people's right to self-determination.