Multiple legislators of the ruling National Conference (NC) on Tuesday, 22 September raised a demand in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly for restoring the public holiday on 5 December — the birth anniversary of NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah — which was scrapped following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

What NC MLAs Said in the House

NC members participating in the assembly session argued that Sheikh Abdullah's contributions to modern Jammu and Kashmir are too significant to be erased from the official calendar. They cited his landmark reforms — Land to Tiller, free education up to university level, and the empowerment of women — as foundational pillars of a progressive J&K.

Senior NC leader and MLA Eidgah, Mubarak Gul, made a pointed argument during the debate. 'We remained in power for decades, but we never removed any holiday. We never played with history. If BJP or any other party's leader had a holiday, we never removed it. Holidays represent collective memory,' Gul said.

Two Holidays Removed After Article 370 Abrogation

Before 2019, the then-state of J&K observed two holidays that have since been abolished: 13 July, known as Martyrs Day, and 5 December, the birth anniversary of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, popularly referred to as Sher-e-Kashmir. Both were removed from the official holiday calendar when J&K was reorganised into a Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370.

In their place, the Union Territory administration introduced 23 September — the birth anniversary of late Maharaja Hari Singh — as a public holiday from 2019 onwards.

NC's Stance on Maharaja Hari Singh Holiday

The National Conference has consistently opposed the observance of the 23 September holiday honouring Maharaja Hari Singh. NC leaders have argued that the Maharaja ruled without a popular mandate, and that an independent J&K should not commemorate a king whose rule, in the party's view, was despotic. The contrasting positions on which figures deserve public commemoration underline a deeper contest over the historical and political identity of the region.

Broader Context and What Comes Next

The demand surfaces as the newly elected J&K assembly — the first since the region's reorganisation — navigates a host of identity and governance questions that have accumulated since August 2019. Restoring the 5 December holiday would require the Union Territory administration's concurrence, since holiday calendars for Union Territories are subject to central oversight. Notably, this is not the first time NC has raised the issue; the party made it a poll plank during the recent assembly election campaign. Whether the demand translates into a formal resolution or an official request to the Centre remains to be seen.