ISLAMABAD: The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) in India has approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking urgent intervention into what it describes as a nationwide pattern of intimidation, harassment, and violence against Kashmiri shawl sellers and students across several North Indian states.
In a detailed letter dated Jan. 2, addressed to NHRC Chairperson Justice V Ramasubramanian, JKSA said that over the past 10 days alone, more than a dozen incidents had been reported from Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Delhi, and Maharashtra.
The association warned that the incidents were “systematic and targeted” rather than isolated.
The move comes days after JKSA national convenor Nasir Khuehami highlighted the alleged harassment of Kashmiri shawl sellers in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district.
In a post on X on Dec. 29, Khuehami said dozens of traders, many of whom have been working in the state for over two decades, were assaulted, threatened with eviction, prevented from selling their goods, and had their belongings vandalized by right-wing groups in the Ghumarwin area.
He noted it was the 17th such incident reported in Himachal Pradesh in 2025 alone.
Two days later, Khuehami flagged another incident from Fatehabad in Haryana, where a Kashmiri youth selling winter clothes was allegedly grabbed by the collar, choked, and forced to chant slogans such as “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram”. When the youth refused, he was allegedly threatened and humiliated in public.
Similar intimidation and vandalism of Kashmiri traders were also reported from the area.
In its letter to the NHRC, JKSA said Kashmiri traders were being coerced into chanting slogans, threatened with death, forced to vacate rented accommodations, and prevented from earning their livelihood despite possessing valid documents.
The association also cited cases of Kashmiri students facing denial of accommodation, religious discrimination, and verbal abuse.
Terming the situation in Himachal Pradesh “particularly disturbing,” JKSA said repeated incidents had occurred despite representations to authorities, with little evidence of police reports, arrests, or deterrent action.
It warned that continued inaction risked normalizing vigilantism and could deepen alienation in Kashmir.
JKSA urged the NHRC to seek reports from concerned states, direct registration of police reports, ensure accountability, and put in place measures to protect the safety, dignity, and constitutional rights of Kashmiri traders and students.
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