Jammu and Kashmir Public Holidays 2025: Complete list

The Jammu and Kashmir government has announced 28 official holidays during the coming year, which does not include Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah's birthday and Martyrs' Day. Significantly, these two were missing from the list. This decision was taken while the National Conference, the party founded by Sheikh Abdullah, was still part of the government.

Sheikh Abdullah, fondly known as Sher-e-Kashmir, was the former Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. His birth anniversary, 5 December, was once a state holiday, though not as significant as that on July 13. The latter is Martyrs' Day, which commemorates the uprising against Dogra autocracy in 1931, during which many civilians lost their lives.

The omission of these holidays from the list is not unexpected, given the changes the LG administration made in 2020. After abrogating Article 370 and downgrading Jammu and Kashmir to a Union Territory, the holiday list was reviewed, and several holidays, including Sheikh Abdullah's birthday and Martyrs' Day, were removed.

The National Conference recently proposed restoring December 5 as a holiday in honour of its founder. Party leaders, including general secretary and legislator Ali Muhammad Sagar, have demanded this. But so far, they have failed, at least for now.

Only time will tell what this decision will mean to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially for those who have great reverence for Sheikh Abdullah and the martyrs of the 1931 uprising.

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