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Before Martyrs’ Day, Mirwaiz’s blistering attack over ‘house arrest’ — ‘fearing mention of martyrs in my sermon’

Earlier this week, both National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party expressed their resolve to visit the Mazar-e-Shuhada on July 13 with the former writing to the Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar for permission to visit the mazar.

Meanwhile, Mirwaiz, the chief cleric of Kashmir, was also restricted from leaving his residence to lead Friday prayers at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid. (File Photo)

Ahead of Martyrs’ Day on July 13, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was disallowed from leading Friday prayers at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid.

The chief cleric of Jammu and Kashmir said he was confined to his house in a post on X. July 13 is marked as Martyrs’ Day as a homage to the 22 Kashmiris who fell to the bullets of the Dogra army while protesting the rule of Maharaja Hari Singh in 1931.

“Disallowed to go to Jama Masjid today, put under house arrest, fearing the mention of the martyrs of 13th July 1931 in my Friday sermon,” the post said.

Highlighting the sacrifice of the martyrs and “all the martyrs since,” Mirwaiz said that it is “etched in the collective memory of Kashmir and cannot not be undone by restrictions and bans”.

“No living nation can forget the supreme sacrifice of life of its martyrs against tyranny and injustice,” he said, appealing authorities to life restrictions to allow the public to peacefully pay homage and expressing a desire to the martyrs’ graveyard in downtown Srinagar

“Inshallah if allowed as per our tradition, we will visit the martyrs’ graveyard on July 13th after Zuhr prayers and pay homage to the revered martyrs,” he said.

Earlier this week, both National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party expressed their resolve to visit the Mazar-e-Shuhada on July 13 with the former writing to the Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar for permission to visit the mazar.

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Formerly a public holiday in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, it was scrapped by the Lieutenant Governor-led administration after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

Entry to the mazar-e-shuhada (martyr’s graveyard) has also been restricted on previous occasions. Last year, leaders such as Mufti and Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone were restricted to their residences on July 13.

After the Omar Abdullah government took over the reins of government in October last year, the issue of restoring the July 13 holiday was also debated in the J&K Assembly. This year, July 13 falls on Sunday.

Naveed Iqbal

Naveed Iqbal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, and reports from Jammu and Kashmir. With a career spanning over 15 years in frontline journalism, Naveed provides authoritative reporting on the region’s transition, governance, and the socio-political implications of national policies. Expertise Regional Specialization: Based in the Srinagar and New Delhi bureaus, Naveed has spent over a decade documenting the unique challenges of Jammu and Kashmir. Her reporting is distinguished by deep contextual knowledge of the region's post-Article 370, statehood debates, and local electoral politics. Key Coverage Beats: Her extensive body of work covers: Politics & Governance: Tracking the National Conference (NC), PDP, and BJP dynamics, including in-depth coverage of J&K’s first Assembly sessions and Rajya Sabha polls following the reorganization of the state. Internal Security & Justice: Providing rigorous reporting on counter-insurgency operations, terror module investigations, and judicial developments involving political detainees and constitutional rights. Education & Minority Affairs: Highlighting systemic issues such as quota rows in J&K, public service commission reforms, and the challenges faced by minority communities. ... Read More

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