July 13, 1931: A Turning Point in Jammu & Kashmir

Vivek Raina Hundreds were burned alive and many others were thrown into the rivers, it was a heinous episode of Hindu fate in Jammu and Kashmir & the day is still being shamelessly celebrated to honour dead rioters of July13 1931 as Martyrs. One of the most significant and divisive moments in Jammu and Kashmir’s history occurred on July 13, 1931. In the erstwhile princely state, the date was formally recognised as “Martyrs’ Day” for many years, honouring those killed during the disturbances outside Srinagar Central Jail. According to historical accounts, a sizable crowd tried to break into the jail premises to interfere with the court proceedings and threw stones at the security personnel in spite of numerous warnings from the authorities. Several people were killed as state authorities opened fire to scatter the crowd in response to an intensifying law-and-order issue. The day’s events changed Jammu and Kashmir’s political course and left a legacy of competing historical accounts that still affect public opinion today. For the minority communities of Jammu and Kashmir, memories of 13 July 1931, remains a day of mourning, pain and remembrance of the well planned and organised attack on their civil rights, dignity and existence and also the emergence of a radical movement that permanently altered the region’s social and political landscape. The princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was ruled by Maharaja Hari Singh, whose kingdom included Jammu, Kashmir Valley, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan, Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, Aksai Chin and several frontier regions. Following the First Round Table Conference in London in 1930, Maharaja Hari Singh openly advocated for the independence of Bharat from British. This stance placed him at odds with the British Occupation, which had significant strategic interests in Jammu Kashmir, particularly regarding the Gilgit frontier. The British sought to weaken the Maharaja politically after he refused to lease the strategically important Gilgit Agency on terms favorable to British interests. British knew his Achilles’ heel. They propped up an agent (who was already in their circuit) Abdul Qadeer, a non-state subject from Peshawar, and assigned him the un-coveted job to incite the Muslim population of Jammu and Kashmir against the Maharaja. He did his job meticulously on various fronts. Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah founded the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference in 1932 alongside Mirwaiz Yusuf Shah and Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas against Maharaja Hari Singh. In 1939, Abdullah converted it into the National Conference (currently headed by his son and current CM of Jammu and Kashmir) and later founded the Plebiscite Front, sowing the earliest seeds of separatism in Jammu and Kashmir. A key figure in the chain of events preceding July 13, 1931, was Abdul Qadir, a non-state subject who had come from Peshawar. At a gathering in Khanqah-e-Mohalla, Srinagar, he allegedly delivered a highly provocative speech, calling upon Muslims to rise against the Maharaja’s administration. Framed in explicitly religious intolerance, his address inflamed public sentiment and encouraged open defiance of the state administration. The speech marked a decisive escalation in the political atmosphere, leading to his arrest on charges of sedition and incitement. His trial became seeds of separatism in the Jammu Kashmir. On July 13, 1931, thousands of violent extremist gathered outside Srinagar Central Jail and tried to force their way into the central jail, where proceedings had been shifted because of repeated disruptions in court. Many prisoners inside attempted to burst open prison gates, police officers were hit with stones and the Islamic radicals grew more hostile and even tried to storm the jail. After being called to the scene, the District Magistrate identified the mob to be a “unlawful assembly” and issued an order for their dispersion, which was disregarded by extremists. When the violent extremist refused to disperse despite numerous warnings and the declaration that the assembly was illegal, the District Magistrate ordered authorities to use forces and maintain the law and order. The violent extremists under the supervision and leadership of social, religious and political activists like Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, looted Hindu properties and houses at Vicharnag, Maharaj Ganj (the hub of business activity), Amirakadal, Hari Singh High Street and parts of Bohrikadal. In Kanikoot Village (now in Badgam district) Hindus were mercilessly beaten, their properties vandalised and the members of one family were thrown out from the windows of their three-storey house and brutally killed. Vicharnag, a locality with a significant Hindu population, is remembered by survivors as one of the worst-affected areas. Homes being looted & burned, businesses destroyed, and families assaulted. Sexual violence against Hindu women and extensive destruction of property, the attacks specifically targeted members of the Hindu minority. Hindu community of all hues in the valley was taken aback; this carnage shook its confidence because of the fact that it did not become victim of any riots but had to face a one sided raid, for no fault of theirs. Thousands of Muslim conference workers and other extremists joined the criminals who broke out of the jail and started looting the Hindu proprieties, burning the religious places of Hindus & assault on women of minorities i.e., Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist etc. Prof. Ram Nath Kaul, educationist and Principal (Retd.) of Government Degree College, Bemina, Srinagar in his book titled “Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah: A Political Phoenix”, described how Muslim Conference mobsters, after creating havoc, were greeted by Shiekh Abdullah at Mujahid Manzil, headquarters of Muslim Conference. One of the injured activist fell into the lap of the Sheikh and said, “Sheikh Sahib, Aap ney hamen jaisa kaha tha, humney vaisa kar diya” (whatever you had told us, we did the same), and with this he breathed his last in the lap of the Sheikh. This persecution of Hindus, Sikhs & Buddhists spread beyond Kashmir valley into areas such as Rajouri, Kotli, Mirpur, Khui Ratta, Seri, Dhana, Panjera and other parts of Jammu. Hindu and Sikh homes, temples, and gurdwaras were allegedly attacked, looted, or burned. Refugee families from these regions which are presently living in the Jammu district have preserved memories of the

Bharat Hindus Kashmir Pakistan Security Technology

160

Kashmir’s Temple Heritage: A Testament to Bharat’s Enduring Civilization

The history of Kashmir is a tale of culture rather than just geography. The Valley fostered a distinctive intellectual, spiritual and cultural history for thousands of years that significantly influenced Bharat’s civilisational terrain. Kashmiri Hindu community consisting of intellectuals, philosophers, saints, poets and custodians of sanatan/dharmic knowledge whose presence established Kashmir’s cultural identity over centuries, stood at the heart of this legacy. For a displaced Kashmiri Hindu minority community, Kashmir Valley’s topography represents a sacred map of the spirit rather than just a set of physical coordinates. A 5,000-year-old civilisational continuum can be found in every mountain peak, freshwater spring (nag) and weathered stone facade. As opposed to “being seen as” two distinct geographies linked only by political boundaries, Kashmir and Bharat are integral parts of a single civilisational and dharmic ecosystem. Ideas, philosophies, texts, scholars, pilgrims and cultural customs moved freely between Kashmir and the rest of Bharat for millennia, enhancing a common civilisational consciousness. Kashmir Valley produced significant contributions to Shaivism, Sanskrit scholarship, aesthetics, philosophy and religious learning; it was not a peripheral frontier but rather one of the leading hubs of Bharatiya spiritual thinking. As a result, the history of Bharat and Kashmir are intricately interwoven, and the preservation of Bharat’s larger civilisational memory is inseparably related to the preservation of Kashmir’s legacy. Hundreds of ancient temples, shrines and historic sites were abandoned to stillness, overgrowth and the gradual deterioration of time when this link/bond was shattered by the mass ethnic cleansing and exodus of early 1990s. Temples of Kashmir, which are tucked away in the region’s breath-taking scenery, are timeless representations of spirituality, religion and cultural legacy. These hallowed locations serve as centres of devotion, meditation and cultural continuity while providing a deep link to Kashmir Valley’s historical past. Preserving historic neighbourhoods, sacred shrines, old temples and cultural landmarks connected to Kashmiri Hindu’s past has become an urgent priority. However, this endeavour is more than just preserving stones, buildings or archaeological remains; it is a crucial, emotional link that connects and preserves collective memory, reconnects identity and fulfils the long-term goals of a community committed to reclaiming its history and re-establishing ties between displaced generations and their ancestors. In this brief, CIHS is exploring the rich history, stunning architecture and profound spiritual importance of some of Kashmir’s most revered Hindu temples. Background One of the most amazing manifestations of Kashmir Valley’s long-standing spiritual and cultural legacy are its temples. Their multi-century history reflects the development of religious customs, artistic brilliance and innovative architecture in the Kashmir Valley. Many of these hallowed buildings date back to the early Common Era and some historians believe that the Kushan dynasty is when the first temples were built. Over time, Gandharan, Gupta and Central Asian artistic schools combined with rishi/sanatan customs, created a unique character of Kashmiri temple building. The ruins of a prosperous and long-lasting civilisation can be found all over the Valley. A living archive of Kashmir’s civilisational history is made up of ancient temples devoted to Shiva, Shakti, Vishnu and other deities; sacred springs and pilgrimage sites; traditional settlements; educational institutions and locations connected to well-regarded saints and scholars. Major Dynastic Contributions to Kashmiri Temple Architecture Dynasty Period Contribution Kushan Dynasty 1st–3rd century CE Early foundations of religious and artistic traditions in Kashmir. Karkota Dynasty 7th–9th century CE Golden age of temple construction; Martand and Naranag (or Naran Naag) temples. Utpala Dynasty 9th–10th century CE Construction of Avantiswami, Avantisvara and other major temples. Lohara Dynasty 10th–12th century CE Continued patronage of temples and religious institutions. Known as the “golden age” of Kashmir’s architectural and cultural accomplishments, the Karkota dynasty (7th–9th centuries CE) was a pivotal period in the development of temple architecture. Several large temples were built during this time, the most well-known of which being the Martand Sun Temple. A marvel of ancient Indian architecture, the temple was constructed in the eighth century by King Lalitaditya Muktapida and features a distinctive fusion of Gandharan, Gupta and regional Kashmiri design elements. The wealth and creative sophistication of the time are reflected in its enormous size and fine craftsmanship. Subsequent Utpala dynasty (9th–10th centuries CE) substantially enhanced Kashmir’s sacred landscape by building and supporting significant holy sites. Shankaracharya, one of the most treasured temple, is situated on a hilltop with a view over Srinagar. This historic shrine, devoted to Bhagwan Shiva, has long been a hub of spiritual devotion and pilgrimage, providing both religious importance and expansive vistas of the Valley. Shadipur in Kashmir Valley, also known as “Chota Prayagraj,” is a spiritual reflection of Prayagraj, the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. Nestled amid the serene landscapes, Shadipur marks the sacred confluence of Jhelum and Sind rivers, mirroring the spiritual significance of the Triveni Sangam at Prayagraj. Similar to pilgrims at the Kumbh in Prayagraj, Kashmiri Hindus have flocked here for generations to carry out religious observances, ancestral rites and holy dips. Every twelve years, the place holds the Dashar Maha Kumbh, a distinctive Kashmiri custom that attracts people not only from Kashmir but all over Bharat. Shadipora’s “Chota Kumbh” highlights Kashmir Valley’s unique spiritual legacy, signifying the Valley’s deep-rooted connection to Hindu civilisation and pilgrimage network. From the Vitasta-Sindh Sangam in Kashmir to the Ganga-Yamuna Sangam in the center of Bharat, they collectively exhibit a common cultural continuum. Shaivite academics, priests and saints who worshipped at the holy Chinar island and Shiva Lingam at the sacred confluence have long been connected to the place. Shadipora Prayag has been a respected pilgrimage site for centuries, from ancient Kashmiri sages and Shaivite intellectuals to Maharaja Hari Singh and generations of Kashmiri Hindus. The mortal remains of national luminaries like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee have also been found at the sacred confluence, demonstrating its special place in Kashmir’s spiritual and cultural legacy. Numerous temples in Kashmir have suffered ravages of invasions, natural disasters and political upheavals throughout history. They remain timeless representations of the region’s robust cultural and spiritual heritage despite these

Bharat Hindus Human Rights Kashmir Pakistan Security Terrorism

545

Kashmiri Hindus and Atrocity Crimes: A Legal Brief on Persecution and Forced Displacement

The brief argues that the removal of Kashmiri Hindus from the Valley must be read through the law of atrocity crimes, not through the language of “fear,” “sporadic violence,” or “voluntary migration.” Where civilians flee under targeted killings, sexual violence, intimidation, and the collapse of any real safety, the law treats the outcome as coerced displacement. The report applies the tribunal-tested standard of “genuine choice”: if staying is realistically impossible, leaving is not consent. The report aligns the record of atrocities with a structured legal framework. It traces a core objective consistent with ethnic cleansing: the creation of an ethnically homogeneous space through terror-driven removal. It then shows how the victim group was selected on inherited identity, not conduct, Kashmiri Hindus marked as a community. It documents the methods used to compel flight and prevent return: targeted assassinations and massacres, rape and sexual violence as terror, threats and social intimidation, property stripping and cultural erasure. Emblematic cases are examined to demonstrate how individual crimes served a collective outcome, including the assassination of advocate Tika Lal Taploo and the abduction, rape, and murder of Sarla Bhat. Legally, the brief explains that “ethnic cleansing” is not a standalone treaty offence, yet the conduct it describes is fully prosecutable through established categories: persecution, murder, rape, and forcible transfer as crimes against humanity, as well as war crimes within a conflict setting. It situates these findings within Indian constitutional guarantees, equality, life, movement, and religious freedom, alongside public international law standards on forced displacement and persecution. The report also sets out a responsibility chain. It argues that the perpetrator ecosystem was sustained by Pakistan-backed jihad infrastructure and local terrorist networks, and that the enabling environment was reinforced by ideological mobilisation and “soft separatist” cover that normalised denial and insulated perpetrators. Groups discussed include JKLF, Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jamaat-linked networks, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, and separatist fronts operating as political shields, most prominently the Hurriyat Conference. The brief outlines the legal rationale for examining cross-border financing, training, infiltration, and sanctuary under doctrines of state responsibility and aiding-and-assisting.

Uncategorized

976

Explainer: Jammu and Kashmir Sankalp Diwas

In aftermath of India’s independence and subsequent Partition of earstwhile British occupied India, Princely States were vested with the prerogative to decide their accession to either the dominion of India or Pakistan, contingent upon geographical coherence as per Indian Independence Act of 1947. This foundational principle was disrupted on the night of October 22/23, 1947, when Pakistani army along with its rallied tribal raiders initiated a forceful assault on the Princely State of Jammu & Kashmir. Subsequently, Maharaja Hari Singh formally acceded to the dominion of India on October 26, 1947, prompting deployment of the Indian army. Read More….

Geopolitics Guest Column Hindus Leadership Media Policy Security World

1.33K

Supreme Court’s Verdict on the Amendment of Article 370 is Historic: PM

Narendra Modi The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi said that the Supreme Court’s verdict on the abrogation of Article 370 is historic and constitutionally upholds the decision taken by the Parliament of India on 5th August 2019. Shri Modi also said that the Court, in its profound wisdom, has fortified the very essence of unity that we, as Indians, hold dear and cherish above all else. The Prime Minister posted on X; “Today’s Supreme Court verdict on the abrogation of Article 370 is historic and constitutionally upholds the decision taken by the Parliament of India on 5th August 2019; it is a resounding declaration of hope, progress and unity for our sisters and brothers in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. The Court, in its profound wisdom, has fortified the very essence of unity that we, as Indians, hold dear and cherish above all else. I want to assure the resilient people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh that our commitment to fulfilling your dreams remains unwavering. We are determined to ensure that the fruits of progress not only reach you but also extend their benefits to the most vulnerable and marginalised sections of our society who suffered due to Article 370. The verdict today is not just a legal judgment; it is a beacon of hope, a promise of a brighter future and a testament to our collective resolve to build a stronger, more united India. #NayaJammuKashmir” (Author is Prime Minister of India)

Fact Sheet Hindus Human Rights

1.12K

Brief: Seven Exoduses and the Ethnic Cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus

In the late 1980s and early 90s, the Kashmir Valley was engulfed by terrorism aided and funded in the name of ‘Islam’ by Pakistan as part of its neferious K2 (Kashmir and Khalistan) policy by initiating ‘Operation Tupac’, which aspired to foster successionist movements in India. As a result, several radical Islamist factions, Pakistan-based terrorist organisations and their local Kashmiri sympathisers joined hands to nurture an Islamist separatist movement in Kashmir that would be both religious and political depending on convenience and timing. The campaign was hinged on its brutal aggression against Kashmir’s minority Kashmiri Hindus, who were considered infidels and labelled as Indian agents by Pakistan backed Islamists, terrorists and their sympathisers in the valley of Kashmir. In the years following, Pakistan-sponsored terrorists and their local collaborators organised a terror campaign of targeted killings, rape, threats, inflicted systematic damage and destruction of Hindu homes and places of worship. Faced with imminent threat and persecution by torture, crimes against humanity and systematic elimination of the minority community in Kashmir. Kashmiri Hindus were forced to flee their native homeland in the seventh mass exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from the valley of Kashmir.

Human Rights

1.87K

Kashmiri Community in Fear and Insecurity

Decades ago, when terrorism engulfed the valley, Kashmiri Hindus, an indigenous ethnic-religious group in Kashmir-now a minority, were forced to leave their ancestral home. The growing Islamic extremism transformed rapidly into terrorism. Much of the weapons and trained terrorists poured in by neighbouring Islamic republic of Pakistan. They, along with other Kashmiri Muslims sympathisers called for murder, loot, rape, and abductions of native Kashmiri Hindus. Left with no choice but to save themselves, over 0.4 million Kashmiri Hindus migrated to different parts of the country. In such adversity and betrayal, Makhan Lal Bindroo, a Kashmiri Hindu pharmacist in Srinagar, chose to stay back and serve his homeland Kashmir. On Tuesday, however, he was paid for his service and trust by The Resistance Front (TRF). Terrorists of the Resistance Front (TRF) shot and murdered Makhan Lal Bindroo. TRF is a Lashkar-e-Taiba front organisation (LeT). LeT an international terrorist group designated by the United States and United nations which is backed and supported Pakistan. The trigger? He was a Hindu, a reminder of Kashmir’s indigenous non-Islamic history that the Islamists desperately want to erase. Seemingly inspired by the recent cleansing of Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan. TRF has began a gory repetition of the 90s massacre of Hindus in the valley. In sixteen days, eleven civilians, a majority of whom belong to the Hindu minority communities have been butchered in the Valley of Kashmir by Pakistan backed Islamic terrorists. In the recent spree of killings. Terrorists targeted Hindus, Sikhs and government employed muslims. In addition, non-locals workers a d wagers from the rest of the country, who have built and sustained Kashmir crisis after crisis were targeted. Evidence suggests that these organised killings are planned and organised by Pakistan backed terrorist groups, following the footprint of the 1990s genocide of Kashmiri Hindus. The revival of Kashmiriyat- Kashmir’s distinct pluralism- after recent sustainable development in Kashmir, has been a sore in the sight of Pakistan-sponsored Islamic terrorists in Kashmir. The roots of this planning lead to Pakistan as is evident from the series of events that replicate the 90s genocide. The day TRF’s Pakistan-sponsored terrorists killed Bindroo, two others were also killed, a poor Dalit street food hawker, Virender Paswan who was killed within an hour of Bindroo’s shooting for being a harmless non-Kashmiri, and a Muslim resident that terrorists killed because of suspected links to security forces. All these people were killed for not adhering to the terrorist ideology against Hindus. In fact, it did not stop there. Three days later, terrorists murdered two educationists: Supinder Kour- the Kashmiri Sikh principal at a school in Srinagar and Deepak Chand- the Kashmiri Hindu teacher at the same school. The terrorists singled them out from the staff, ordered the Muslims to go out and shot those two. If this isn’t ethnic cleansing and genocide, then what is, ask the minority communities in Kashmir. The terrorist attacks and killings have launched the minority community in Kashmir into a hysteria of fear and insecurity. Many have fled their homes overnight, in a horrifying repeat of events of the late 1990s. After the last great exodus of the Kashmiri Hindus in 1999, there are barely any Hindus left in the valley, many of whom were those who returned after government’s efforts to resettle them back in their homes. However, clearly, nothing has changed for Hindus and other minorities of Kashmir and it likely won’t as long as Pakistan-sponsored terrorism continues in the valley. There is no doubt that a large part of this renewed genocide of Hindus in the valley also stems from the international aid that is given to Pakistan that it pumps back into its terrorist operations in Kashmir. While India scrambles to take control of security in Kashmir, international community can step up and support by immediately sanctioning Pakistan so that another irreversible genocide of a minority doesn’t happen on our watch.

Blog Post