Hundreds of students from Kashmir have been forced to leave different parts of India due to increasing attacks and harassment.
Ever since the militant attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, Kashmiri citizens and students living in different parts of India have been facing violent attacks and death threats, especially after the Hindu right-wing IT cell started spreading misinformation and anti-Kashmir, anti-Muslim propaganda on social media.
“Fear and distress expressed by Kashmiris outside, especially students who are being attacked in the aftermath of the dastardly Pahalgam incident seen on videos circulating, is deeply concerning. Urge the concerned authorities to immediately intervene and ensure their safety and protection,” Kashmiri leader and chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq posted on X.
“There have been many incidents across the country wherein Kashmiri students were harassed, beaten up, bullied and even asked to vacate their residential premises,” People’s Conference chief and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone stated on X.
He urged the Union Government to ensure the safety of Kashmiri students.
Speaking to Maktoob, a student and a volunteer who has been helping students evacuate back home said, “Students from a Universal group of institutions were beaten and I evacuated them. They were sent back to Kashmir in the morning with security.”
Many students had locked themselves in their rooms or were forced to sleep at airports due to fear of being attacked.
In Uttarakhand, Hindutva groups have started issuing ultimatums to the students and asked them to leave.
In a video, Lalit Sharma, a Hindu Raksha Dal leader, while giving an ultimatum, is heard saying: “The incident in Pahalgam has hurt us… If we see any Kashmiri Muslim in the state after 10 a.m. tomorrow, we will give them the right treatment. Tomorrow, all our workers will leave their homes to give this treatment to Kashmiri Muslims. We won’t wait for the government to take action… Kashmiri Muslims, leave by 10 a.m., else you will face action you can’t imagine.”
Videos of Kashmiri students being beaten up inside campuses and hostels are going viral. Many are seen pleading with the crowd to stop beating them.
“Many terrified Kashmiri students from BFIT College Sudhowala, Dehradun, have already fled towards Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, to save their lives,” J&K Students Association national convenor Nasir Khuehami said.
J&K Students Association on Thursday said that they spoke to Uttarakhand DGP regarding the threat and attacks, who has given assurance.
“On our request, Uttarakhand DGP Deepam Seth Sahab has constituted a special team and directed the Dehradun SSP and SP City to meet with and ensure the safety and security of Kashmiri students across the city,” J&K Students Association said in a statement.
Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida, at least six Kashmiri students studying at Amity University were reported.
Nasir, meanwhile, alleged that in Himachal Pradesh, Kashmiri students in Arni University, Kathghar (Indora), and Kangra have been harassed, abused, and physically attacked.
“The Kashmiri students are being intimidated, labelled as terrorists, and coerced to vacate their accommodation under threats and violence,” Khuehami alleged.
“We have also received distress calls from Kashmiri students and youth studying and working in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Landlords are asking them to vacate immediately, citing security concerns. Some have already left under pressure,” he said.
In Punjab, the situation has escalated with various incidents of attacks on Kashmiri students coming to the forefront. A photo of a student brutally injured has gone viral on social media.
The student, who has been sent back to Kashmir, according to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) volunteer and Kashmir-based Mudasir Hassan. However, contrary to reports, the student was not attacked due to the Pahalgam attack but it was an “internal fight between two groups.”
“There is a lot of misinformation also taking place. Some students were harassed but mostly the situation is under control in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and other states. There has been involvement of outside elements in these situations,” he said.
Speaking to Maktoob, Harpuneet Kaur, member of Panjab Feminist Union of Students at Panjab University, said that most of the incidents are being carried out by right-wing student groups like ABVP. “We are not hearing particular cases of harassment from the interiors of Punjab. Most of the students are in Chandigarh itself. Various helpline numbers have also been set up for students and civilians alike,” she said.
She said that most of the men involved belong to Haryana.
A Kashmiri girl was, meanwhile, rescued by a group of Sikh men from a Gurudwara committee after her video went viral, in which she was harassed.
In a video statement, a Kashmiri girl is seen appealing for help to return home. “We are being threatened and it has become difficult to live here. We are being told that it is us who have done the attack. We are being targeted. We cannot do cabs due to fear,” she said.
Hassan said that the girl will be sent back to Kashmir on Friday. “We want to make it clear that we condemn the attack that happened in Pahalgam. Every Kashmiri is against what happened, so why are they still being attacked?”
While at one place, tourists from Kashmir are sharing heartfelt stories of how the locals are taking care of them and their hospitality has made them stay back in the Valley, on the other hand, Kashmiris in other places are facing brutal violence and harassment. They are being blamed for the attack that happened in Pahalgam.
The attacks have also made Kashmiris skeptical of leaving their homes to come for studies and work. Speaking to Maktoob, Abid (name changed on request), who hails from Srinagar, said that he wanted to come to Delhi and pursue further education, however, the attack on students has scared his parents. “My mother has been crying and has stubbornly told me to stay home. She said you do labour work here but you are not leaving home,” he said.
Abid said that there are hardly any employment opportunities in the private sector and with tourism getting impacted, getting into that business would also be risky. “I am still trying to figure out what to do,” he added.
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said she spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to extend her condolences and express solidarity with the bereaved families of the Pahalgam terror attack.
“We stand with the nation in this hour of mourning,” she said. “I also requested him to intervene in the wake of certain elements openly threatening Kashmiri students and traders across various states. I urged him to intervene without delay to ensure the safety of Kashmiris wherever such incidents are being reported,” she said.
Reacting to such reports, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wrote on X: “The J&K government is in touch with the governments of the states where these reports are originating from. I’m also in touch with my counterpart Chief Ministers in these states and have requested they take extra care.”
Earlier, National Conference leader Imran Nabi Dar had stated that numerous videos of Kashmiri students living across the country were being widely shared on social media in which they were expressing apprehensions about their safety.
“Requesting @CM_JnK @OmarAbdullah sb to immediately intervene and speak to his counterparts across the country,” he wrote on X.
Various helpline numbers have been established to safeguard the guarantee of Kashmiris living in different states.
“We have also shared helpline numbers for any student in distress,” Kaur added.
