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MONDAY, JULY 13, 2015 DAILY EXCELSIOR, JAMMU daily K B Jandial accused of propagating their reli- gious belief among Kashmiris Excelsior istorically, July 13, 1931 is Kashmir Martyrs' Day, no takers in Jammu rather than fighting for political a watershed day in the Established 1965 rights. By the time Sir Iqbal became Hannals of Kashmir's strug- whence we derive our birth and Kichlu. They arranged a counsel for connected telephones The DM miri pundits also call the Martyrs its President, the movement in Founder Editor S.D. Rohmetra gle against autocratic rule for dem- infant nurture, we stand as solidly him. Meanwhile, the administra- thereupon ordered the police to day as Bhatta loot (looting the KPs). Kashmir had gone into the hands of ocratic rights that put Sheikh Mohd as the rest of our countrymen for our tion found that taking Qadeer from open fire. Twenty one persons lost Later events indicate that the Kashmiri Muslims and Hindus Abdullah in the centre stage of the land's enjoyment of a position of Central Jail to Sessions' Court was their lives in the firing. Maharaja Hari Singh became very under the aegis of National Confer- movement which culminated in end honour and equality in the British becoming a law and order problem, The subsequent events of the weak. To overcome the public out- ence. 15 nullahs curse of hereditary rule of Maharaja. Commonwealth of Nations." they decided to hold the court in the day are not widely known. Bamzai rage after the 13 July massacre, he On most of the issues, state has ammu city is perched on the slopes of a hill. A city Twenty one Kashmiris fell to the Britishers considered him haughty Central Jail itself. writes that after this bloodshed the appointed a commission headed by so much emotional divergence that in such a topographical location has its merits as bullets of the Maharaja's police out- and independent nature prince who the Chief Justice of state High Court all the three regions of the State well as demerits. The hillock, the southern exten- side Central Jail, Srinagar. The gory would not toe their line. Maharaja to enquire into the incident but don't see eye to eye including on the J events that unfolded on that day in sion of Trikuta hills, was the last locale where a town Hari Singh on his accession to the STRAIGHT TALK Muslims boycotted it questioning issue of "martyrs". While there is no downtown Srinagar had its roots in throne had withdrawn some of the its independence. British did not could be built. Beyond its southern slopes called, Gumat attempt to demean these martyrs of the developments taken place in facilities and easements from the Sheikh Abdullah and some oth- situation went out of control. There want to miss the opportunity to clip Kashmir but the people in other two ran Tawi, a big river made bigger by summer rains. The Kashmir's political landscape in the Resident at Srinagar. er upcoming leaders advised the was resentment among the Mus- the wings of Maharaja Hari Singh regions are either not well versed town of Jammu in olden times was well protected by Tawi recent past including fierce propa- More serious issue was the con- people against marching to the cen- lims against Maharaja. They parad- and supported the demand of with the importance of "sacrifices as it almost circumvents the entire southern tail-end of ganda against Maharaja's rule and trol of Gilgit Frontier which had tral jail on 13 July. But still a large ed the dead bodies in the main mar- impartial enquiry. of the martyrs" observing the day Trikuta hills. At the same time, these hills provided vast an alleged incident of desecration two categories of administration- number of Qadeer's sympathizers kets. Given the "vicious communal Ultimately, the beleaguered as holiday notwithstanding or do and dense green cover which served as the lungs of the of holy Quran at the hands of a cop. Gilgit Wazarat ruled directly by the gathered in front of Central Jail. propaganda" unleashed in the past Maharaja appointed Glancy Com- not treat them the real martyrs. For After Independence, this day has city. However, the negative aspect of this township on the Maharaja and a Political Agency Some estimate the gathering at month or so, the protestors turned mission to go in to the grievances them, Martyrs are those who sacri- been officially observed as Martyrs' controlled by an Agent appointed about 5000 while others estimated their wrath towards Hindus whom of the people. Besides Sir B J Glan- top of a hillock are the nullahs that carry normal and rain ficed their lives in national freedom day and declared a gazetted holiday by British India Govt. The Mahara- more than that. Nobody was they associated with Maharaja's cy, an officer of the Foreign and movement to free India from the water down the slopes and disgorge into the Tawi that in the State. ja immediately after ascending to allowed to enter the Jail except the Govt. Shops belonging to the Hin- political department of Govt. of yoke of Britishers. flows down. There was a time when the population of Even though it is observed in the throne was pressing abolition of defence counsel. dus were looted and there were India, it had four other members. In the country, 30 January is the Jammu was very thin and these nullahs, thirteen on the Kashmir as a solemn day with the the Agency. Gilgit had always been There are different versions of communal outburst in a suburb of Glancy Commission's recommen- actual Martyrs Day which is right side and two on the left side, did not pose real threat Chief Minister and other leaders a tender spot for the British which the bloody event that followed. Srinagar that left three Hindus dead. dations led to many reforms which solemnly observed in the state also to the environment or the river itself. After all, a river is cutting across political ideology violently react if questioned their Sheikh Abdullah in his autobiogra- Col (Dr) Tej K Tikoo in his Maharaja Hari Singh initiated especially in Jammu. Like rest of visit the revered shrine of Naqash- made up of its tributaries. This is a common phenome- right to hold it in view of Gilgit's phy Aatish-e-chinar recorded that book, Kashmir, its Aborigines and including setting up of Praja Sabha, the country, freedom fighters like band near Khanyar where 21 mar- strategic location. the people who had entered into jail their exodus, writes that the events a legislative assembly with 75 non. Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajgu- tyred Kashmiris were buried, and The spark for 13 July gruesome premises were peaceful but the Gov- of July 13 "were so orchestrated that members, a mix of elected and ru are considered martyrs. The With rapid increase in population, Jammu city gradu- pay their respectful homage with incident was a non-descript out- ernor, Raizada Trilok Chand, who the State's Muslims subjects would nominated members. This was the Govt. has righty selected the mar- ally became over-crowded. In absence of functional sew- full state honour. The policemen sider who had nothing to with Kash- had arrived there in view of the sit- be provoked into indulging in com- beginning of the democracy in the tyrdom day of father of the nation, erage treatment plant, all the litter of the huge population blow bugles sounding the Last Post mir, Abdul Qadeer. He was butler uation that had developed, ordered munal violence against Kashmiri state. This was one of the many Mahatma Gandhi as Martyrs Day to began to be thrown into the nullahs. Even the nullahs while a contingent of J&K police of one Major Abbott of Yorkshire arrest of protestors. Enraged by the Hindus, which would eventually good initiatives taken by Maharaja pay homage to all those numerous reverse arms as mark of respect to regiment located in Peshwar who order the people started hurling destabilize Maharaja's Govt." This Hari Singh. known and unknown freedom began to be used for the purpose of soakage pits making these martyrs. After outbreak of the them polluted and thereby a source of health hazard. was holidaying in a house boat at stones on the police. In the firing that was sufficient to "coerce Maharaja It is said that once the British- fighters and soldiers who had laid militancy, the solemn ceremony is Nageen lake. Expressing solidarity was ordered, 21 persons were killed Hari Singh to submit to the British ers achieved the objective they down their lives in defence of the Obviously, these fifteen nullahs have become the big conducted amidst tight security and with Kashmiri Muslims, Qadeer and hundreds were injured. The peo- demand for lease of Gilgit". The relaxed the pressure from the country. Unlike in J&K, the day source of pollution of Tawi. The plan of artificial lake in house arrest of separatists. made a fiery speech at Khanqah-e- ple went berserk and set on fire strategy worked and later the Maharaja and given freedom to deal does not demand a holiday. Tawi has been scuttled or delayed just because these There is a political angle to Mualla on June21, 1931and called police lines in the premises. Maharaja signed the lease docu- with political agitators. The leaders Even in Kashmir context a new nullahs carry all the dirt, filth and litter straight to the river. these developments besides gen- upon the Muslims to "arise and take According to another book, ment of Gilgit.

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