Begum Khalidah Shah pays tributes to 1931 Martyrs

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Awami National Conference has paid glowing tributes to the martyrs of 13 July, 1931 on their 81st martyrdom anniversary which is being observed all over the state tomorrow. 

In a statement issued on the eve of the Martyrs Day, party president, Begum Khalidah Shah, said the massacre had taken place at a time when, giving vent to his pent-up anger against the autocratic rule, a brave youth, Abdul Qadeer Khan, had delivered a fiery speech in the premises of historic Khanqah-e-Mu’alla, Srinagar.
“Pointing towards Maharaja’s palace, Khan raised a slogan to destroy the despotic and imperialist government brick by brick. Charged with sedition, his trial was conducted at the Central Jail, Srinagar. Even the trial court was shifted to the jail. At this, there were massive protest demonstrations outside the jail,” she said.
Begum Khalidah said the event marked the first revolt against the centuries old autocratic rule. “By offering the supreme sacrifice, several Kashmiri youth laid the foundation of the freedom struggle and paved the way for taking it to its logical end,” she said.
The ANC president said it was on the very next day (14 July, 1931) that Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah was arrested along with several other leaders, including Sardar Gawhar Rahman, Mistry Muhammad Yaqub, Choudhary Ghulam Abbas, Maulvi Abdul Raheem and Ghulam Nabi Gilkar.