July 13, Dec 5 holidays will be restored one day: NC; Tarigami says downgrading towering personality is distortion of history
Srinagar: A day after the government released the list of holidays for 2025, the elected government of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday said that there has been no response to the proposal submitted by the cabinet earlier with regard to the inclusion of holiday on December 05, marked as the birth anniversary of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, the founder of National Conference (NC).
Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Javed Ahmad Dar told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the cabinet sent a proposal for inclusion of holiday on Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s birthday on December 05. “However, there was no response from the administration so far in this regard,” he said.
However, he said that the cabinet will continue to push for the inclusion of holiday on Sheikh Abdullah’s birthday.
Pertinently, on December 29, the Jammu and Kashmir government released the official holiday list for 2025, which includes significant religious, national, and regional observances but notably excludes Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s birthday and July 13, Martyrs’ Day, as public holidays.
Meanwhile, the NC spokesman and MLA Zadibal, Tannvir Sadiq in a post on X yesterday, stated that “Today’s list of holidays and the decision reflects the BJP’s disregard for Kashmir’s history and democratic struggle.”
“While we had hoped for the inclusion of holidays commemorating leaders like Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and the martyrs of July 13th, their absence does not diminish their significance or our legacy. These holidays will be restored one day,” Sadiq said in the post.
Furthermore, the MLA Kulgam and senior CPI (M) leader, Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami, in a statement termed the decision of the Lt Governor administration to abolish holidays on Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s birthday and Martyrs’ Day on July 13 as an attempt to distort history.
Criticizing the move, Tarigami said, “Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was a towering personality, and his contribution to the freedom struggle and empowerment of the people of J&K cannot be ignored. The empowerment of people we see today came through decisions like Land-to-Tiller without compensation, Education for All, and the empowerment of women, which resulted from that movement.”
“To downgrade such a towering personality is a distortion of history,” he added.
Tarigami said it is very unfortunate that July 13 and December 5 have been dropped from the list of holidays for the 2025 calendar year. He said July 13 holds immense historical significance for J&K, as it commemorates the sacrifice of those who laid down their lives protesting against autocratic rule and advocating for human dignity.
“Similarly, December 5, Sheikh Sahib’s birthday, is of great importance. Sheikh Sahib and his colleagues made great contributions toward empowering people by democratizing society, implementing radical land reforms, introducing free education, and empowering women as part of the Naya Kashmir manifesto,” he said. “Attempts to erase such pivotal milestones from our collective memory undermine the values they represent. Distorting history this way will serve no purpose.”
The CPI (M) leader said the attempt is being made to further divide people. “By such decisions, the administration has insulted the people of Jammu and Kashmir. CPI(M) appeals to the people of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh to unitedly resist such divisive policies of the central government,” he added—(KNO)
