New Delhi: Nasir Kheuhami, National Coordinator of the Jammu and Kashmir Student Association, has expressed serious concern over the reported assaults on Kashmiri shawl sellers in various parts of the country. He alleged that the entire community is being unfairly blamed based on isolated incidents, which amounts to collective punishment.
Kheuhami shared details of a recent incident involving an 18-year-old shawl seller from Kupwara district in North Kashmir. The information was brought to him by a local group, the Muslim Seva Sangathan, which urged him to raise the issue with the government.
According to Kheuhami, after speaking with the victim, it was revealed that the young man is both a shawl seller and a student. During the winter session in Kashmir, his family members travel to different parts of India to sell shawls, a practice they have followed for the past 30 to 40 years to support their family financially. This time, the youth was selling shawls in the Vikas Nagar area.
He recounted that some locals questioned the seller about his origin and religion. Upon learning he was a Muslim from Kashmir, the conversation turned to recent incidents in Pahalgam and Delhi, which escalated into an argument.
The victim clearly stated that Kashmiris have always supported the government and that any legal action should be based on evidence. However, blaming the entire community for individual cases is unjustified.
The situation escalated when the crowd attacked the youth with iron rods, causing serious injuries to his head and body. He bled heavily and required approximately 15 stitches. Kheuhami highlighted that similar attacks have been reported recently from Almora, Nainital, Dehradun, and other areas where Kashmiri shawl sellers work, contributing to the local economy but feeling increasingly unsafe.
Kheuhami appealed to the government to ensure the safety of shawl sellers and other workers from Jammu and Kashmir. He urged strict action against those involved in such violence to prevent recurrence.
He emphasized that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inseparable part of India, and just as citizens from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, or any other state can work anywhere in the country, Kashmiris have the right to live and work throughout India.
Kheuhami warned that failure to curb these incidents would harm the nation’s social unity and mutual trust. He called for immediate and effective administrative measures to protect the lives and dignity of innocent people. Kashmiri shawl sellers seek only to earn their livelihood through honest work and contribute to the country’s economy. They deserve to work in an environment of security and respect, not fear.