Srinagar, Feb 01 (KNS) : The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Sunday raised serious concerns over the alleged harassment and assault of a Kashmiri shawl seller in Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh, marking the latest in a series of such incidents in the region.
In a statement issued to news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS), JKSA National Convenor Nasir Khuehami said Kashmiri shawl seller Mohd Ramzan was reportedly harassed, intimidated and assaulted in Kangra district by an individual identified as Surjeet Rajput Guleria, who is allegedly linked to similar incidents last month.
Khuehami claimed that despite identifying himself as an Indian citizen, Ramzan was forced to “prove” his identity, threatened and told to leave the state. His shawl bundles were searched and he was mockingly accused of carrying an AK-47, an act termed by the association as “humiliating, communal and unlawful.”
The association said this was the fourth such incident in Himachal Pradesh this year and part of a recurring pattern of harassment against Kashmiri traders.
Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelIt noted that despite multiple complaints, only one FIR has been registered so far, pointing to a “culture of impunity.”
The JKSA criticised the Himachal Pradesh government and Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for “inaction and failure to act decisively” despite repeated warnings. “The absence of swift arrests and preventive measures has emboldened fringe elements,” the statement said.
It urged the Chief Minister to intervene immediately, ensure arrests and issue directions to police and district administrations to protect Kashmiri traders.
“This atmosphere of hatred threatens livelihoods built over generations and further alienates a vulnerable community,” the association added. (KNS)