JULY 13 & IT’S IMPORTANCE
“ Written by Dr mubeen shah in 2020 as part of a meeting held by Tehreek Hurriyat UK through Zoom which is relevant today also. “”
Every year Kashmiris all over the world have this date etched in their memory as the date of the killing of 22 Kashmiris by an oppressor ruler without any accountability which gave rise to an organized movement of Kashmiris to fight for their rights.
This year 2020 I was invited by Tehreek Hurriyat UK to speak on this date.
I am attaching the video part of my speech and was based on the following main points
1) Failure of Kashmiris to communicate to the world the true history of Kashmir. In this regard, we need to point out that it is a fight of the tyrannized against tyrants and of the oppressed against oppressors. An example of our failure is that we are not able to convince the world how they are accepting an Accession document purported to be signed by the Maharajah who was ruling Kashmir on the basis of a Sale document signed by him and the British ( Amritsar Sale deed ) against money whereby not only the land but people were sold by the British for which all British should be ashamed and need to make amends by supporting our demand of “RIGHT OF SELF DETERMINATION “.
Besides the above, we have failed to communicate to the world at large how the world will accept the Accession document ( Original never shown ) signed by an oppressor and a tyrant who by the events of 13th July 1931 showed his oppressive rule openly and even forced the then British govt by subsequent events forced largely by advocacy by People like Alama Iqbal and at the same time by advocacy of Punjab Muslims to bring our plight to notice of the Muslims of India.
2) This date is important also as the events which happened after this date of our movement became organized in Kashmir and almost all areas in Kashmir as well as Jammu got affected and there were Martyrs all over the State
3) The man who by his speech made Kashmiris rise against the oppression was Abdul Qadeer who took the opportunity of speaking on the platform which was set up by the Muslims of Kashmir to identify their representatives to make and represent them. The one thing which strikes me is his call to all Kashmiris to rise up against oppression with ONE VOICE.
It will be the most disservice to our Martyrs if we are divided particularly in that whether we should become part of Pakistan or become independent. This division between us is damaging us and by my experience, it is the voice and slogan RIGHT OF SELF DETERMINATION which needs to be focused on as was done by the three leaders( Geelani Sahib, Yasin Malik Sahib and Maulvi Omar Sahib ) in 2008 when they dropped their individual ideologies and came on one platform and fought it together by which the govt was forced to withdraw the order of Transfer of Land to Amarnath Trust.
4) It is not the question of the first 22 but of our Martyrs who have crossed 100000, structures arsoned / Destroyed which are more than 110000, children orphaned more than 108000 , women Raped 11000, Enforced disappearances more than 10000, women widowed 22800.
If we take the latest figures of the last 6 months upto ending June ( JKCSS ) (https://jkccs.net/bi-annual-hr-review-229-killings-107-casos-55-internet-shutdowns-48-properties-destroyed/) there have been 229 killings ( out of which our feeling is that 80% are encounter killings ( extrajudicial killings )( https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/m.thewire.in/article/government/uttar-pradesh-yogi-adityanath-encounter-vikas-dubey/amp this is regarding an extrajudicial killing which is a norm in Kashmir because of AFSPA ) 107 cordon/search as well as cordon/destroyed actions which is more as cordon and destroy actions, 55 internet stoppages, 48 properties destroyed. If this is not oppression what else is?
5) Kashmir does not have only now martyrs’ graveyard in the Sufi shrine of Naqasband Sahib but in every Mohalla and village and that is an everyday reminder of the oppression of the Indian state against Kashmiris
“July 13th and its importance in Kashmir Freedom movement, what needs to be done “