Political theatre in Kashmir over Martyrs' Day

Politics in Srinagar took an even more cynical turn following Martyrs’ Day, commemorated annually on 13 July in memory of 22 Kashmiris—all Muslims—who were gunned down in 1931 by the Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh’s forces. In 2020, it was removed from the official list of gazetted holidays, one year after the BJP revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and statehood, and split it it into two Union Territories.

This year, the Srinagar district administration, acting on directives from the Lieutenant Governor’s office, denied political parties permission to visit Mazar-e-Shuhada (Martyrs’ Graveyard)—in Srinagar’s Nowhatta area—on 13 July and threatened legal action against anyone who violated the order.

Several mainstream political leaders attempted to milk the occasion for public attention and political mileage.

On 14 July, videos surfaced of chief minister Omar Abdullah climbing the wall of the graveyard and a policeman on duty attempting to stop him from approaching the graves. Most Kashmiris were sceptical that a chief minister with Z-category security could truly have been manhandled. On social media, some called it a publicity stunt; others urged the chief minister to resign for being disgraced by an ordinary policeman.

Sajjad Lone, MLA and leader of the People’s Conference—also a long-time critic of Abdullah—wrote a sarcastic post on X: ‘So you were grappled. Poor CM sahib. I feel bad. Not for the grappling but the poor choreography, even the poorer storyline... Do you know what grappling by security forces has meant in Kashmir in the last 35 years? They are professional grapplers... And anybody grappled by them including those grappled on your orders reached either the jail or the grave....’

This is the physical grappling I was subjected to but I am made of sterner stuff & was not to be stopped. I was doing nothing unlawful or illegal. In fact these “protectors of the law” need to explain under what law they were trying to stop us from offering Fatiha pic.twitter.com/8Fj1BKNixQ

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) July 14, 2025

Other dramatic visuals showed senior National Conference (NC) leader and cabinet minister Sakina Itoo arriving at the graveyard, riding pillion on a scooty.

While Omar Abdullah, Itoo and other NC leaders, including Farooq Abdullah, visited the Martyrs’ Graveyard on 14 July, People’s Democratic Party leader and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter, Iltija Mufti, visited on 12 July. On Martyrs’ Day itself, the chief minister said he and his ministers were placed under ‘house arrest’.

Poet and writer Zarief Ahmad Zarief questioned their sincerity: “Today, they claim to honour martyrs who died nearly a century ago. What of those killed in recent times under their leadership? Has Omar Abdullah forgotten the civilians, around 120 of them, including many children, who lost their lives in 2010? At that time, Jammu and Kashmir had no Lieutenant Governor; as the chief minister he wielded full authority, including as head of the Unified Command Council (the coordinating body for all security agencies). Likewise, when Mehbooba Mufti served as chief minister in 2016, over 100 individuals, including children, were killed by bullets and pellets. Why do these leaders remain silent about these martyrs?” Zarief asked.

Separatist and religious leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq posted on X: 'Power teaches little, powerlessness teaches more! Today the CM sahab tasted the bitter medicine of authoritarian high-handedness and subsequent helplessness that common Kashmiris face every day in different forms, as all agency and space is denied to them. Hoping this experience shifts his focus to what is the first priority of every people—upholding their dignity and fundamental rights, and work[ing] sincerely towards [their] restoration.'

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It’s not that Omar Abdullah hasn’t spoken about dignity and rights—he has, but only pre-election. In its election manifesto, the NC had promised it would not only push for the restoration of statehood but also seek the reinstatement of Article 370.

The party had also pledged to implement the 2000 Autonomy Resolution, and even promised to facilitate India-Pakistan dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue. It has now been nine months since the NC came to power after winning a huge mandate—42 seats out of a total of 90—in the Assembly. Yet, the only issue that it has touched on has been the plea for restored statehood.

“In Kashmir, mainstream politicians have always deceived people with fake slogans, promising them the moon and the stars. When the true test comes, they fail. In public, they speak against the BJP-led government at the Centre, but in reality, they are hand-in-glove for their own political dividends. They proved this post-August 2019,” added Zarief.

Critics also accused Abdullah of distorting historical facts to push a narrative that suits his political agenda, by pointing to factual inaccuracies in Abdullah’s statements, including the tweet in which he wrote: ‘What a shame that true heroes who fought against British rule in all its forms are today projected as villains only because they were Muslims…’.

Veteran journalist, author and Kashmir Times executive editor Anuradha Bhasin reposted Abdullah’s tweet on her Facebook wall, with a sharp one-liner: ‘When you can’t even say who you fought without mincing words.’

Speaking to the National Herald on condition of anonymity, a young resident of Srinagar’s old town said, “Every year, these leaders compete with one another, showcasing themselves as they pay homage and offer floral tributes to the martyrs of 1931.

Yet, no one speaks about the descendants of these martyrs. All of them were residents of Srinagar—one of them was my great-grandfather. Ironically, the very leaders now racing to pay homage at Mazar-e-Shuhada were the same ones who, while in power as chief ministers or ministers over the past three decades, imposed strict restrictions in Srinagar’s old city every year on Martyrs’ Day. They all claim to honour the shuhadas (martyrs), but no one has made an effort to allow the families of the martyrs to visit the graveyard on this day.”

The fact is: people want leaders and elected representatives to address pressing issues and grievances, rather than indulge in photo ops and publicity stunts.

“If the ruling party fulfilled even a fraction of its promises,” says journalist and political analyst Tariq Ali Mir, “it wouldn’t need political gimmicks like this to stay relevant.” Those promises included one lakh jobs in the first six months after coming to power, the release of people jailed inside and outside J&K, 200 units of free electricity, relief from power and water crises, and 12 free LPG cylinders per year to economically weaker sections.

“Unfortunately,” says Mir, “many of these promises were never meant to be kept—they were just theatrics for votes.”