'Attack' on Kashmiri sellers in Himachal: JKSA seeks Shah's intervention

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The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking his intervention over what it termed a "rise in incidents of harassment and violence" against Kashmiri students and shawl vendors in Himachal Pradesh.

According to the association, a Kashmiri shawl seller, Jehangir Ahmad, was allegedly assaulted by fringe elements in Dehra area of Kangra district last week, and the matter has been taken up with the offices of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and the Himachal Pradesh chief minister.

In a letter to the Union home minister, the JKSA said while incidents involving Kashmiri students and traders have been reported in several northern states over the past year, Himachal Pradesh has emerged as a matter of "particularly grave concern".

It alleged that despite repeated representations, assurances and interventions at multiple levels, incidents continue to recur in the state "with worrying regularity", while effective action on the ground has remained largely absent.

"This year alone has witnessed at least 18 incidents of assault, intimidation, and harassment of Kashmiri shawl sellers in Himachal Pradesh," the letter said, adding that in several cases there was "no prompt or effective registration of FIRs, no visible arrests or deterrent measures".

The association said the continued inaction has "emboldened miscreants and created an atmosphere of fear, where vulnerable traders are left at the mercy of mobs instead of being protected by the rule of law".

National convenor of JKSA, Nasir Khuehami, claimed many Kashmiri students and traders were living under constant fear and severe psychological distress.

"Alarmingly, several have been forced to leave the state, resulting in the disruption of education, loss of livelihood, and erosion of dignity," he said, terming the situation "not merely administrative negligence, but a serious lack of political will and moral responsibility to protect Kashmiri citizens".

The association warned that such incidents carry implications far beyond Himachal Pradesh.

"Nothing will do more damage to the idea of India in Kashmir than repeated instances where innocent Kashmiris are targeted, threatened, or forced to flee while perpetrators go unpunished," the letter said, cautioning that this could deepen alienation and undermine trust and emotional integration.

Reiterating that "Kashmiris are not outsiders in India", JKSA said they are "equal citizens and an integral part of this country, entitled to the same rights, freedoms, dignity, and constitutional protections".

The JKSA urged Home Minister Shah to seek a detailed report from Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on all incidents reported over the past year, including the status of FIRs, arrests, prosecutions and preventive measures taken.