Kashmiri students studying outside the Kashmir region are currently facing harassment, threats, and even physical assault in various parts of India, raising serious concerns over their safety and well-being.
In Punjab, a disturbing incident was reported at Gian Sagar Medical College in Banur, Chandigarh. A student pursuing BSc Nursing, hailing from Sopore in north Kashmir, was brutally assaulted by a group of non-local students. The victim’s roommate, Bhat, recounted the attack, saying, “Around 3 AM, they came to our flat. They were abusing us. We requested them not to do it. But they pulled one of my friends out and beat him so badly… we were helpless.” The attackers were reportedly from Haryana and numbered more than ten.
The situation worsened in other states as well. In Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, Kashmiri students have been pressured by landlords to vacate their rented accommodations, raising fears of coordinated acts of intimidation against the community. A similar situation unfolded in Dehradun, where students from the Alpine Group of Colleges reported being forced out of their homes.
Tensions escalated further when Lalit Sharma, a figure associated with the Hindu Raksha Dal, issued an open threat to Kashmiri Muslims in Uttarakhand, calling for them to leave the state by Thursday. In a widely circulated video, he declared, “Our teams will go on rounds and deal with any Kashmiri Muslim in their own way.”
In response to these growing incidents, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah assured that his government is closely monitoring the situation. “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 & have requested they take extra care,” he stated.
