Webdesk: The Modi-led Indian government has turned Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) into an open-air prison, a place where political expression is crushed, dissent is punished, and even peaceful tributes to history are treated as crimes. A place where people cannot even remember 1931 Kashmiri martyrs.
One glaring example is the continued house arrest of senior religious leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, even as Kashmiris seek to mark the memory of the martyrs of July 13, 1931, a date deeply rooted in the region’s struggle for dignity and rights.
“.@MirwaizKashmir remains under house arrest for the second consecutive day, as we approach the remembrance of the martyrs of July 13, 1931. Their legacy of courage and sacrifice continues to inspire us, and we remain committed to honoring them peacefully. #July13 #MartyrsDay… pic.twitter.com/0no0ph92of
— Mirwaiz Manzil-Office of Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir (@mirwaizmanzil) July 12, 2025
Not even those who were part of the previous state government, as well as the incumbent legislators of IIOJK were spared this year. It has been reported that they were subjected to house arrest where they were not allowed to visit the graves of the 1931 Kashmiri martyrs.
This intensive crackdown against democratic officials highlights the brutal nature of New Delhi’s control over Kashmir. The latter does not even give the authority of action to even leaders such as the former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
In a blatantly undemocratic move homes have been locked from the outside, police & central forces deployed as jailers & major bridges in Srinagar blocked. All to stop people from visiting a historically important grave yard containing the graves of people who laid down their… https://t.co/yTC2V53VAy
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) July 13, 2025
This is not all, MLA Zadibal with the highest victory margin in Srinagar, Tanvir Sadiq has been locked inside his house. He says that it is a deliberate attempt to suppress remembrance and deny us the right to honour the Kashmiri martyrs of July 13.
Since last night, I like many of my colleagues, including the party leadership at Gupkar, the Advisor to the Chief Minister, and a majority of sitting MLAs have been locked inside my home.
— Tanvir Sadiq (@tanvirsadiq) July 13, 2025
This is not just unfortunate; it is a deliberate attempt to suppress remembrance and deny… pic.twitter.com/R6fycmrCMr
Fundamental rights, like having the right to come together, to speak, to worship, to remember, are constantly withheld away with the Kashmiri people. Religious liberties are always threatened, political meetings are discouraged, and there are endless curfews imposed without prior notice.
Both political and religious leaders are frequently detained or confined to their homes without due process, cut off from their people and stripped of their voice.
Those who gave their lives resisting Dogra rule on July 13, 1931, are now being denied the honour they deserve. Their sacrifice is not only forgotten by the authorities, but it is actively erased.
For Kashmiris, this is not just a painful insult; it is a denial of their history, their collective memory, and their identity.
The tragedy of that day in 1931 remains etched in the hearts of the people. Outside Srinagar’s Central Jail, a crowd had gathered in support of Abdul Qadeer Khan, a figure who had become a symbol of resistance.
As the time for prayer approached, a young man stood up to deliver the Azaan. He was shot dead. Another rose to continue the call to prayer, he, too, was killed. This happened again and again, until 22 men had laid down their lives.
Their only ‘crime’ was trying to pray and to stand against injustice. Their massacre left a wound that time cannot heal, yet the people of Kashmir remain a powerful symbol of resilience and the unwavering pursuit of self-determination.
“انہیں مردہ نہ کہو، وہ زندہ ہیں، مگر تم نہیں سمجھتے۔” (قرآن 2:154)
— Mirwaiz Manzil-Office of Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir (@mirwaizmanzil) July 13, 2025
کشمیر گواہ ہے ان قربانیوں کا جو اس کے بیٹوں اور بیٹیوں نے ظلم کے خلاف، انصاف، اپنے حقوق اور اپنی مادر وطن کے لیے کیں۔ 13 جولائی 1931 کے شہداء نے اسی جدوجہد کی قیادت کی، اس وقت کے حکمرانوں کے ظلم کا مقابلہ کرتے… https://t.co/rYVjXPzweB pic.twitter.com/K3MpIn0wzF
This incident led to a movement of resistance by the people of Kashmir and this spirit has become a heritage.
However, India continues to exercise cruel domination but instead of honouring that legacy. India has since the partition of British India illegally held the greater part of Jammu and Kashmir in violation of international agreements and non-compliance with the UN resolutions.
Thousands of men have been killed in the decades, women have been widowed and children orphaned, yet the fight continues.
This year also, to impede non-violent demonstrations and remembrance ceremonies, leaders of pro-freedom groups have been dragged or put under house arrest.
History has however proven that these crackdowns never succeeded in putting a muzzle on the voice of Kashmir or its spirit.
However hard claws are clamped, the reality is: The fight of Kashmiris, for justice, for freedom, and dignity goes on.
Read more: PM Shehbaz pays tribute to Kashmir martyrs, renews support
