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Maharaja's Birth Anniversary Holiday Deepens Jammu and Kashmir Divide
Jammu and Kashmir has a new public holiday for Maharaja Hari Singh’s birthday.
People in Jammu are celebrating it and paying tribute to him.
In the Kashmir Valley, there has been little public celebration.
The National Conference says Hari Singh’s rule was harsh and wants holidays for Sheikh Abdullah and Martyrs’ Day restored.
The BJP says the Maharaja made important contributions and should be remembered.
The disagreement is also about how different groups remember the region’s history.
Members of the two parties shouted competing slogans in the Assembly.
Some legislators also want July 13 to become a holiday again.
That day honors 22 people killed during a 1931 uprising against the Dogra monarchy.
A September 23 public holiday for Maharaja Hari Singh’s birthday has sparked contrasting reactions in Jammu and the Kashmir Valley.
The Centre introduced the holiday in 2022, while holidays for Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s anniversary and Martyrs’ Day were cancelled.
The National Conference called Hari Singh’s rule repressive and demanded restoration of the other holidays.
The BJP held tribute events and praised the Maharaja’s contributions to Jammu and Kashmir.
The dispute triggered a confrontation between National Conference and BJP legislators in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
- Who
- The Jammu and Kashmir government and political parties, including the National Conference, BJP and PDP, are involved in the dispute.
- What
- A public holiday marking Maharaja Hari Singh’s birth anniversary has divided opinion, alongside demands to restore holidays for Sheikh Abdullah and Martyrs’ Day.
- Where
- The dispute is centered in Jammu and Kashmir, with celebrations and political events in Jammu and contrasting reactions in the Kashmir Valley.
- When
- The holiday is observed on September 23; the Centre introduced it in 2022, and the Assembly confrontation occurred on Tuesday, though the date is not specified.
- Why
- The disagreement reflects competing views of Maharaja Hari Singh’s rule, Sheikh Abdullah’s political legacy and the commemoration of those killed in the 1931 uprising.
National Conference and Holiday Restoration Supporters
Bharatiya Janata Party and Maharaja Supporters
Assessment of Hari Singh’s rule
National Conference and Holiday Restoration Supporters
The National Conference describes his reign as repressive and says commemorating him while removing Sheikh Abdullah’s holiday is historically contradictory.
Bharatiya Janata Party and Maharaja Supporters
The BJP says Hari Singh made important contributions to the country and Jammu and Kashmir and should be remembered and celebrated.
Which holidays should be observed
National Conference and Holiday Restoration Supporters
The National Conference demands that the Maharaja holiday be cancelled unless Sheikh Abdullah’s anniversary holiday is restored; several legislators also seek the return of Martyrs’ Day.
Bharatiya Janata Party and Maharaja Supporters
The BJP supports the September 23 holiday and accused the National Conference of insulting the Maharaja’s memory.
Historical legacy
National Conference and Holiday Restoration Supporters
National Conference legislators portray Sheikh Abdullah as a democratic leader who opposed autocratic rule and gave rights to the people.
Bharatiya Janata Party and Maharaja Supporters
BJP members and supporters emphasize Hari Singh’s contributions and commemorated him through floral tributes and public functions.
Key facts
- Holiday date
- September 23, Maharaja Hari Singh’s birth anniversary
- Holiday decision
- The Centre declared the public holiday in 2022
- Cancelled holiday
- The holiday marking Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s birth anniversary was cancelled
- Martyrs’ Day
- July 13 was removed from the public-holiday list after the abrogation of Article 370 and the 2019 bifurcation
- Assembly dispute
- National Conference members demanded restoration of other holidays, while BJP members defended the Maharaja holiday
- 1931 deaths
- Twenty-two people were killed during the uprising against the Dogra monarchy
- Historical reform
- The 1931 unrest was followed by limited political reforms, and the first Assembly elections were held in 1934
Quotes
Tanvir Sadiq
Chief spokesman of Jammu and Kashmir’s ruling National Conference
“A leader associated with land reforms that empowered the tiller and transferred land ownership to the poor has his holiday removed, while a holiday commemorating the ruler under whose reign Kashmiris endured repression is celebrated. No hatred. No prejudice. Just history. Facts are facts. Period,”
NDTV
“I hope every generation will remember and celebrate the contributions the Maharaja has made for the country and Jammu and Kashmir,”
NDTV
Sources
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