SRINAGAR: Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) on Friday announced that incarcerated Member of Parliament (MP) from Baramulla, Engineer Rasheed, will observe a token hunger strike on 13th July 2026 as a mark of respect to the “martyrs of 13th July 1931” and in protest against what the party described as the continued disregard shown by both the Union Government and the Jammu & Kashmir Government towards their legacy.
AIP Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi, in a statement, said,“The sacrifice of the 13th July 1931 martyrs occupies a defining place in the political history of Jammu and Kashmir. The 22 martyrs laid down their lives while raising their voice against autocratic rule and demanding justice, civil liberties, representative governance and democratic rights for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Their supreme sacrifice, he said, became a turning point in the region’s political awakening and inspired the struggle for constitutional and democratic rights.”
Inam said that it was during the PDP-BJP coalition government in 2015 that official observances associated with 13th July were discontinued and according to the party, a different official narrative regarding the day began to emerge. He further alleged that since then, people have been prevented from freely visiting the martyrs’ graveyard to pay their respects.
“The token hunger strike by Engineer Rasheed is intended to remind people that history cannot be erased or rewritten through administrative decisions. Attempts to distort historical facts or diminish the sacrifices of those who laid down their lives for the democratic and political rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir will never succeed. Their sacrifices remain an inseparable part of our collective memory and political consciousness,” Inam Un Nabi said.
He added that despite being incarcerated, Er Rasheed remains steadfast in raising issues concerning the political rights, identity and historical legacy of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The AIP spokesperson said the party believes that 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.