Shimla / New Delhi / Srinagar:
The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has submitted names and incident details of Kashmiri shawl sellers allegedly assaulted and intimidated across multiple states, as it approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking intervention, FIRs and accountability for what it described as repeated and targeted attacks on Kashmiris engaged in seasonal trade.
In its complaint to NHRC Chairperson Justice V. Ramasubramanian, the association cited specific cases from Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Haryana, naming victims based on police complaints, video evidence and written representations.
Himachal Pradesh: Repeated Attacks, Limited Deterrence
According to the JKSA, Abdul Ahad Khan, a shawl seller from Kupwara, was assaulted in the Ghumarwin area of Bilaspur district, where his merchandise was damaged and he was allegedly threatened with dire consequences. A police complaint was later lodged following public outcry.
Another trader, Ghulam Mohammad Lone, operating in the Bilaspur–Hamirpur belt, reported being surrounded and intimidated by local miscreants, forcing him to shut his stall and leave the area fearing further violence, the association said.
The JKSA stated that both traders had been selling shawls in Himachal Pradesh for over two decades without any prior incident.
Uttarakhand: Assault and Forced Sloganeering
In Kashipur, Udham Singh Nagar district, Bilal Ahmed Ganie, a young shawl vendor from south Kashmir, was allegedly beaten and abused in public after his Kashmiri identity became known. Videos circulated on social media showed him being threatened and coerced, triggering outrage and calls for action.
Police later acknowledged receipt of a complaint and said an investigation was underway.
Haryana: Public Humiliation
In Fatehabad district of Haryana, Showkat Ahmad Bhat, another Kashmiri shawl seller, was allegedly grabbed, abused and publicly humiliated by a group of men.
The JKSA said he was threatened and pressured to chant slogans, forcing him to abandon his business and seek police protection.
Students Also Targeted
Beyond traders, the association flagged harassment of Kashmiri students, naming Aijaz Ahmad, a postgraduate student in Delhi, who was allegedly denied accommodation after landlords learnt of his Kashmiri identity, and Zahoor Ahmad, a student in Mumbai, who reported verbal abuse and intimidation in a residential locality.
DGPs Assure Action, JKSA Flags Gaps
Directors General of Police in some states, including Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, have stated that FIRs have been registered wherever formal complaints were received and that no one would be allowed to disturb communal harmony or take the law into their own hands.
However, the JKSA said that despite these assurances, arrests have been slow, preventive policing weak, and confidence-building measures absent, particularly in Himachal Pradesh where incidents continue to surface.
Omar Abdullah Reacts
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the attacks and said Kashmiris are equal citizens of India, entitled to safety and dignity anywhere in the country.
He stressed that intimidation of traders and students damages national unity and called for firm action against perpetrators and accountability for policing failures.
NHRC Action Sought
The JKSA has urged the NHRC to seek detailed reports from Chief Ministers and DGPs of the concerned states on FIRs, arrests, prosecutions and preventive steps taken, and to ensure protection for Kashmiri traders and students.
Warning that silence and delay only embolden attackers, the association said the issue is no longer about isolated incidents but about upholding constitutional guarantees for ordinary citizens earning their livelihoods far from home.
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