Srinagar, July 11: Awami Ittehaad Party (AIP) announced that its president and Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid will observe a token hunger strike on July 13 to pay tribute to the martyrs of 1931 and protest what the party described as the continued neglect of their legacy by the Union Government and the Jammu and Kashmir Government.
AIP chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi said the July 13, 1931 martyrs occupy a significant place in the political history of Jammu and Kashmir. He said the 22 martyrs laid down their lives while demanding justice, civil liberties, representative governance and democratic rights, adding that their sacrifice marked a turning point in the region’s political awakening.
Nabi said the token hunger strike is intended to send the message that history cannot be erased or rewritten through administrative decisions. He maintained that the sacrifices of those who fought for the democratic rights of the people would continue to remain an important part of Jammu and Kashmir’s history.
The AIP spokesperson further claimed that official observances of July 13 were discontinued during the PDP-BJP coalition government in 2015. He also alleged that since then, people have been prevented from freely visiting the martyrs’ graveyard to pay their respects.
Reaffirming the party’s stand, Nabi said AIP believes historical events should be remembered with respect and that no government can erase or rewrite the sacrifices that shaped the democratic aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
