SRINAGAR: Senior National Conference leader Assadullah Alai has strongly condemned the administration’s move to deny political leaders and the public access to the historic Martyrs’ Graveyard at Khawaja Bazar, Nowhatta, on the solemn occasion of Martyrs’ Day.
In a strongly worded statement issued to the media, Alai said, “Denying people the space to remember their martyrs is fundamentally unjust. No order can suppress memory. No restriction can erase truth.”
He added that July 13, 1931, marks a defining moment in Kashmir’s struggle for justice and dignity, and the continued attempts to erase this chapter from public consciousness only reveal the fear of truth.
“This graveyard does not belong to any party or government—it belongs to the people of Kashmir. The 22 martyrs laid to rest there gave their lives for our collective future. Remembering them is not a political act, it is a moral duty,” Alai asserted.
The National Conference leader termed the administration’s actions as part of a larger pattern of erasure, where official calendars have removed historically significant dates, and voices of dissent are being stifled. “What are we afraid of?” he questioned. “A nation that forgets its martyrs forgets its soul.”
Alai urged the government to reinstate July 13 as an official public holiday, calling it a gesture of respect toward Kashmir’s historical legacy and democratic roots.
He stated Omer Abdullah leadership is capable to safeguard the rights of the people no matter the obstacles.
