Governor trolled on twitter; Advisor, SC, visit graveyard with floral circlets

Ceremony scaled up after Omar questions absence of Advisors

JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra was subjected to bitter criticism on twitter for posting his tributes on the ‘Martyrs’ Day’ –a controversial event of history in which 22 Kashmiris were allegedly killed by Maharaja Hari Singh’s forces on 13 July 1931 –even as his Advisor K Vijay Kumar and Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmaniam offered floral tributes at the Mazar-e-Shuhada –the martyrs’ graveyard –in downtown Srinagar.

Despite an official holiday across the state ever since 1948, the Martyrs’ Day is a controversial event seen differently by peoples of different political ideologies. Kashmiri Pandits and a section of Hindu community in Jammu dubs this event as ‘Black Day’ and this constituency is growing with institutions like Bar Association of Jammu coming forward to challenge the Muslim dominated official political narrative.

Every year the Chief Minister and the members of cabinet besides top bureaucrats and other political leaders visit the martyrs’ graveyard early on the morning of July 13 to pay tributes. This is second time in last years that the state is under Governor’s Rule on this particular day.

Governor Vohra skipped the personal visit to the graveyard this morning as he did the same when the state was under his rule on this day in 2008. However, the Governor issues, a statement of tributes to the martyrs year. This year, in absence of political government, the Governor’s statement was looked forward to keenly.
As compared to his politically loaded statement of 2008 in which he “recalled the sacrifices of the martyrs who launched a non-violent struggle, which paved the way for the evolution of a political movement which contributed to achieving the cherished objective of self governance in the true spirit of democracy”, this year the Governor’s statement was very careful and read as the following: “Jammu and Kashmir is known for its glorious pluralistic ethos, amity and brotherhood, and urged the people to work towards restoring the pristine glory of the State as an abode of peace, harmony and prosperity”.

The moment Governor’s secretariat put this statement on his official twitter handle, there was a barrage of criticism by mainly rightwing trolls some of whom said that he was glorifying the criminals who indulged in rape and plunder in 1931. There were 150 retweets and 135 comments on this post of the Governor’s, highest since he logged on the twitter on June 20.

The Governor’s administration had deputed the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Khan and Director General of Police Dr SP Vaid to mark their presence at the official ceremony at the martyrs’ graveyard early at 6.30 in the morning. After the news came out the Governor’s administration has scaled down the ceremony, the National Conference leader Omar Abdullah questioned the Governor's advisors for skipping the event, which is listed as a state function and attended by the chief minister when an elected government is in place.

It was apparently in this backdrop that the Raj Bhawan rushed the Advisor and Chief Secretary to pay tributes. Advisor K Vijay Kumar then visited the martyrs' graveyard at Naqashband Sahib to offer floral tributes to the 1931 martyrs, other senior officers were also present on the occasion. Kumar laid wreaths over the graves of the martyrs.

"Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam, Director General of Police S P Vaid, Divisional Commission Kashmir Baseer Ahmad Khan, IGP Kashmir S P Pani, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Syed Abid Rasheed Shah and other senior officers were also present on the occasion," an official spokesman said.

He said a contingent of J&K Police posted the bugle and presented the ceremonial guard of honour to the martyrs.