Wave of Harassment Against Kashmiri Students Sparks Nationwide Concern After Pahalgam Attack
In the aftermath of the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of at least 26 people, Kashmiri students across India are reportedly facing growing hostility, harassment, and threats in several states.
Numerous incidents have emerged from regions like Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and others, prompting urgent calls for intervention from political leaders and student bodies.
The Jammu & Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Wednesday issued an advisory urging Kashmiri students to remain vigilant and avoid engaging in sensitive political discussions or sharing provocative content online.
“Such actions could potentially lead to backlash and put students at risk,” the advisory cautioned.
Reports on social media and firsthand accounts have painted a disturbing picture of retaliatory hate crimes targeting Kashmiri students. From college hostels to private accommodations, many students have allegedly been attacked, intimidated, and forcibly evicted.
Nasir Khuehami, JKSA’s national convener, took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to document incidents. He alleged that in Punjab, a group of local individuals and fellow students forcibly entered a hostel at midnight, assaulting Kashmiri students with sharp objects.
Some were severely injured, and their clothes were torn in the assault. Shockingly, Khuehami noted, the college’s security personnel did not intervene, and the Punjab Police also failed to act swiftly, further emboldening the assailants.
In Uttarakhand, the right-wing group Hindu Raksha Dal reportedly issued an ultimatum to Kashmiri students, demanding they vacate the area by 10 a.m. on Thursday or face violent consequences.
Video clips circulating online show groups chanting inflammatory slogans like “Kashmiri mullo, wapas jao” (Go back, Kashmiri Muslims).
Khuehami urged the Uttarakhand Chief Minister to step in immediately to safeguard students’ lives. Meanwhile, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, several Kashmiri students have reportedly been evicted from rental accommodations, citing “security concerns” by landlords. Some, feeling unsafe, have already returned home.
“This trend is extremely concerning,” Khuehami wrote. “Prayagraj is already a sensitive region, and such harassment and profiling of students only adds to the distress.
Fringe groups must not be allowed to persecute innocent Kashmiris. Their right to live and study peacefully anywhere in the country must be upheld.”
Himachal Pradesh’s Arni University also reported distressing calls from Kashmiri students who claimed they were physically attacked and labelled as “terrorists” by right-wing mobs.
Hostel rooms were allegedly broken into, students were abused and intimidated, and many were forced to flee. Khuehami characterized the situation as a targeted hate campaign, calling out the inaction of local authorities and warning of a breakdown of law and order that emboldens such mobs.
He further revealed that he had reached out to Rahul Gandhi’s office, receiving assurances that the Leader of the Opposition would raise the issue with both the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister to ensure immediate intervention.
He also said he had contacted the office of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who assured that the state government would coordinate with the concerned states to guarantee the safety of all Kashmiri students.
Political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir have since echoed these concerns. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah posted on X that his government is monitoring the situation closely and is in active communication with states from which reports of violence and harassment are emerging.
“I have personally reached out to my counterparts in these states, urging them to take special care of students from J&K,” he stated.
Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condemned the attacks, describing them as deeply troubling. “The distress and fear felt by Kashmiri students outside the Valley must be addressed. Authorities must act now to ensure their protection,” he wrote.
Sajad Lone, president of the J&K People’s Conference, and Altaf Bukhari, president of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, both demanded that the Union government intervene immediately.
Lone emphasized the rising number of attacks, evictions, and threats faced by Kashmiri students. Bukhari urged the central government to take “swift and decisive action” to stop such hate incidents and safeguard the rights and dignity of Kashmiri citizens living across India.
With tensions running high and fears mounting among students and their families, all eyes are now on central and state authorities to take prompt and effective action to prevent the crisis from escalating further.
