Srinagar: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday led party functionaries in offering Fateh prayers to the martyrs of 1931, here at party headquarters Nawa-e-Subah in Srinagar.

In his address, Abdullah recalled the supreme sacrifice of the martyrs of 13 July 1931 and paid homage to each of them and many such unsung heroes who laid their lives for the dignity and political rights of people of J&K.

“13th July is a turning point in the history of Jammu & Kashmir. On the eventful day, the people of Kashmir unlocked themselves from the years of coyness that had snared them. The intrepid and dauntless heroism shown by our unarmed martyrs will continue to inspire forthcoming generations to eternity; no matter how many years pass, the pain that was inflicted on the hearts of Kashmiri on that day will always remain the same. We will never fail to remember their supreme sacrifice for liberating the future generations from the years of bondage and despotic rule,” he said.

He said that it was Sheikh Abdullah who took it upon himself to carry forward the legacy of our fallen heroes. This distinctive feature of our community character, he held, was fashioned by many sacrifices and was manifested in the ideology of the National Conference.

“Our best tribute to our heroes will be to continue with our peaceful, democratic and constitutional struggle in getting our historical individuality back. With 13th July martyrs as our guiding stars, I’m sure we will steer Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh to safer shores,” he said.

He said that during his audience with the PM, he brought the ever-increasing trust deficit between New Delhi and J&K to his notice and told the PM that it was for New Delhi to come out of its shell and recognise Jammu & Kashmir’s individuality.

KR Desk