Kashmir’s July 13 Martyrs’ Day: History and controversy

Amid tight security arrangements for Martyrs’ Day in Jammu and Kashmir, former Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti was placed under house arrest on Monday (July 13, 2026). On July 13 each year, ‘Martyrs’ Day’ is observed in Jammu and Kashmir in remembrance of 22 Muslims killed by Dogra forces in 1931.

The mass murder of the 22 Kashmiris galvanised tension among Muslims, seeking civil rights and justice against the killings. Later, the events accelerated the formation of the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference in 1932 under leaders such as Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas. In 1939, the party was renamed the National Conference. After India’s Independence, when Kashmir’s ruler agreed to aceeding the State to India, Sheikh Abdullah became it’s first “Prime Minister”. The same year, he declared July 13 as ‘J&K Martyr’s Day.