Former NC leader cites historic reforms while urging holiday restoration

In a sitting of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on September 22, National Conference representatives pressed the government to bring back the December 5 holiday that commemorates the birth anniversary of the party’s founder, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. The motion highlighted that, up until the revocation of Article 370 in 2019, the day was officially observed across the state.

The legislators underscored Abdullah’s progressive vision—granting ownership of cultivated land to farmers, guaranteeing free education up to the university level, and championing women’s rights—as the bedrock of a modern Jammu and Kashmir. Senior NC figure Mubarak Gul warned that the party has never withdrawn a holiday and warned against “tampering with history.”

Since the constitutional amendment, the December 5 and July 13 holidays have been scrapped, and a new celebration on September 23 for the late Maharaja Hari Singh has been introduced. The NC has consistently opposed the September 23 holiday, describing the Maharaja as an autocratic ruler whose commemoration does not align with democratic values.

The NC’s demand reflects a broader call to restore cultural memory and honour the contributions of Sheikh Abdullah to the region’s development.