Sunil Sharma Terms Omar Abdullah’s Wall-Scaling Act ‘Unfortunate’, Warns of Wrong Signal to Youth
SRINAGAR, July 14: The controversy surrounding the observance of Martyrs’ Day in Kashmir intensified further as Leader of Opposition in Jammu and Kashmir, Sunil Sharma, criticized Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s decision to scale the boundary wall of Mazar-e-Shuhada in Srinagar. Calling the move “unfortunate,” Sharma said the act sets a poor example for the public, especially the youth, and undermines the decorum expected of someone holding a constitutional position.
Reacting to the dramatic visuals from July 14, where Omar Abdullah was seen climbing over the locked gates of the Martyrs’ Graveyard at Naqshband Sahib after being allegedly stopped by security personnel, Sharma expressed concern over what he described as “confrontational posturing” by the Chief Minister. “It is deeply regrettable that an elected Chief Minister chose to jump over a boundary wall at such a solemn site and engaged in an altercation with police,” Sharma remarked. “Those in public office are meant to uphold the law, not defy it. Such actions can send a dangerous message to the youth, who may interpret this as a license to challenge authority through confrontation.”
The events unfolded against the backdrop of tight restrictions imposed by the police on July 13, Kashmir’s traditional Martyrs’ Day, observed in memory of the 22 civilians killed by Dogra forces in 1931 outside Srinagar Central Jail. Omar Abdullah, along with several other political leaders, was allegedly placed under house arrest, preventing them from paying tributes at the Martyrs’ Graveyard. A day later, determined to mark the occasion, Abdullah walked from Nowhatta Chowk to the shrine, only to find the gates locked. He chose to scale the wall to gain entry and offer prayers.
Taking to social media after the incident, Omar Abdullah defended his actions, stating, “Paid my respects and offered Fateha at the graves of the martyrs of 13th July 1931. The unelected government tried to block my way. They locked the gate to the Naqshband Sahib shrine, forcing me to climb the wall. They tried to stop me physically, but I wasn’t going to be deterred.”
While the National Conference hailed Omar’s determination as an act of moral resistance against administrative high-handedness, opposition leaders like Sharma argue that symbolic defiance must not come at the cost of constitutional responsibility. “Martyrs’ Day is a sacred occasion. Turning it into a stage for confrontation weakens its significance. Leaders must reflect restraint, not dramatics,” Sharma added.
Martyrs’ Day was once an official holiday in Jammu and Kashmir, marked by public tributes and official ceremonies. However, since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 and the conversion of the state into a Union Territory, the day has been delisted from the official calendar. Public commemorations have also come under strict administrative control, with the Lieutenant Governor’s office citing law and order concerns.
This year’s restrictions sparked political uproar, with leaders from both ruling and opposition parties prevented from visiting the graveyard or holding events. While Omar’s actions drew praise from sections of civil society and party loyalists for standing up to what they described as “state-imposed silence,” his critics say such gestures must be measured against the responsibility of leadership.
The graveyard in question lies adjacent to the revered shrine of Khwaja Bahauddin Naqshbandi, adding further spiritual and symbolic weight to the annual observance. That it became the centre of a political standoff reflects the broader tensions between the elected government and the LG-led administration in the Union Territory, where questions of authority, symbolism, and memory continue to intersect sharply.
As Kashmir navigates the delicate balance between tradition and transition, the debate over how Martyrs’ Day is observed—and who gets to lead those observances—has become emblematic of a deeper political struggle over rights, representation, and the space for democratic expression.
