13 July – A Benchmark of Kashmiri Resistance

The ongoing kashmiri uprising that erupted in Dec 1989 and has maintained momentum for almost two decades is something to be greatly admired for its resilience and tenacity. It has withstood full fury of the unrestrained Indian military might and yet found sustenance to draw upon unfathomable sources of grit and determination to defy the Indian will to prevail. In this clash of wills, it is heartening to observe that it is not the Kashmiris who are buckling but the Indian Army which is disintegrating; turning its soldiers into psychiatric patients through strain of unending operations in Kashmir. One wonders what sustains Kashmiri spirit in such an unmatched contest. But history tells us that every freedom struggle has a defining moment that sets into motion the march of a people towards their destiny of freedom. For the oppressed Kashmiri Muslims of the Jammu and Kashmir this occurred on 13 July 1931. It was the day when Kashmiris, for the first time under the Dogra Raj, rose en mass and displayed an unflinching manner of defiance in quest of their rights. As many as 21 people were shot by Maharaja’s forces and the day came to be known as Youm-e-Shuhada, the martyrs’ day. 13 Jul 1931 is verily the landmark in the political movement of Kashmir and is manifest of the politicized Muslim identity that drives the freedom movement in Kashmir; even to this day.
It is one of the greatest injustices of the modern history that Kashmir, along with its predominantly Muslim population was sold by the British to Maharaja Gulab Sigh for seventy-five lac rupees through the provisions of the Treaty of Amritsar (1846). The Kashmiris got a raw deal from their rulers. The Dogra rulers paid no heed to the lamentable conditions of the masses and undertook no reforms to alleviate their sufferings or make adjustments to the change of political winds in British India. The unrest was beginning to accumulate and stir, slowly but surely as the realization began to dawn that Kashmiris’ deprivation flowed from their identity as Muslims within the Dogra Hindu Regime. The first mass expression of discontent of Kashmiri Muslims made its forceful emergence on 13 Jul 1931.
The countdown to the eventful day started on June 25, 1931 when the Reading Room Party convened a mass meeting at Khanqah-e-Muallah. The meeting was attended by over 50000 people and materialized as the biggest political congregation held till then in Kashmir. The ambience of the meeting translated into a highly charged and emotional political atmosphere, which held great promise for the oppressed souls of Kashmir. As the meeting dispersed, no one had an idea that that the event to launch a great freedom movement was at hand; but so are the designs of the providence. Suddenly a young man appeared before the crowd and mesmerized it with a stirring speech. He told them that they were slaves and that a government, which didn’t hide its contempt for their religion, ruled them. He also assured the captivated gathering about the sympathy and passion that the Muslims of the British India held in their hearts for the oppressed Kashmiris. Finally he exhorted them to rise and fight for the vindication of their honour. This young man who ignited the fire and passions of freedom was Abdul Qadeer who hailed from Amroha in U.P and was visiting Kashmir. Such a dare devil display of boldness couldn’t be let off by the Maharaja’s administration. His speech was recorded by the C.I.A and he was arrested on 25 June on charges of treason. The trial was moved to Central Jail in first week of July and public mood made it manifest that things were moving for a showdown.
On 13th of July thousands of Muslims assembled outside the Central Jail and demanded permission to enter the compound and allow Muslim reps to watch the proceedings of the trial. Authorities’ refusal to entertain these demands caused the situation to turn grave. The situation became dangerously confrontational when the crowd attempted to force its entry into the compound. Instead of handling the situation with tact, the Governor ordered the Police to open fire leading to the martyrdom of 21 people besides injuries to over forty people. It goes to the velour of the ‘Shuhadas’ that according to Mr Wakefield” the wounds of dead Kashmiris (Shuhadas) were all in front”. The violent mob then set the police quarters on fire and using the blood soaked shirt of a martyr as flag, took the bodies to the Jamia Masjid where these were kept under a vigil for the whole night by the entire procession. The Maharaja clamped immediate martial law and handed over the city to the army, which encircled the Jamia Mosque. The standoff continued until Shuhada’s were buried in the compound of Khanqah-e-Naqshbandi on the third day of the incident amidst heart-rending incidents of devotion and inspiration. The entire population of the city had assembled to bid its salutations and homage to its heroes. The site of these graves has come to be known as Mazar-e-Shuhada where every year on 13 July, Muslims from all over Kashmir gather to dedicate themselves to the cause of freedom and honour.
The spilling of Kashmiri blood on 13 July, to lay claim to their political rights as a community, made a singular contribution towards the evolution of the freedom struggle in Kashmir. Blooding of a docile people broke the collective spell cast by the tyranny suffered in silence through centuries and underscored the power of sacrifice and character for securing the ideals of independence and freedom. The 21 martyrs of 13 July blazed a trail of glory that, ever since, has inspired the generations of Kashmiri youth to follow in their illustrious foot steps.
Momin Iftikhar