Kashmiri Pandits hold ‘black day’ protest in Jammu outside Raj Bhavan | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: A small group of Kashmiri migrant pandits gathered outside the Raj Bhavan on saturday to protest against the alleged persecution of their community on 13 July 1931 in the Kashmir Valley. The All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (ASKPC), a migrant pandit organization, considers this date as a “black day“.
Before Article 370 was abrogated and the state was bifurcated into two union territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh — by the central government in 2019, July 13 was an official holiday in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
An official ceremony was held annually to commemorate the 22 Kashmiris killed by the army of a Dogra ruler in 1931. However, in 2020, the government removed the day from the list of public holidays.
Several dozen ASKPC activists staged a sit-in outside the Raj Bhavan, carrying placards and chanting slogans against the alleged atrocities inflicted on their community.
An ASKPC spokesperson said: “The seeds of separatism and terrorism were sown on this day in 1931 when our community was targeted by communal forces. The previous governments nurtured this seed by celebrating Martyrs’ Day every year.” The spokesperson added that the community seeks justice and proper rehabilitation.