Barely a week after a 28-year-old Kashmiri shawl seller was assaulted and intimidated in Uttarakhand, another young man in Haryana’s Fatehabad was forced to chant “Vande Mataram.”
A video of the incident has surfaced on social media showing a local man holding the Kashmiri vendor by the collar and asking him to say “Vande Mataram” in a threatening tone. When the man refused, he was subjected to humiliating and degrading treatment.
A few local women tried to calm the situation by telling the accused to stop the abuse, but in vain.
Confirming the incident, Fatehabad Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) said no formal complaint has been filed so far. “The Kashmiri man had come to sell winter clothes. We are trying to locate him. We have also not received any complaints regarding this matter,” the officer told Siasat.com.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) condemned the incident and urged the Union government to intervene.
In a statement released on Wednesday, December 31, the association flagged the continued rise in incidents of intimidation, harassment and violence against Kashmiri students and vendors, mainly traditional shawl vendors. “Despite repeated representations and assurances, there has been little concrete action on the ground. There are delays in FIR registrations and a lack of visible arrests or deterrent measures,” the statement read.
“Targeting innocent Kashmiri traders and students and forcing them to flee only weakens national unity and social cohesion,” the JKSA stated, adding, “Kashmiris are equal citizens entitled to the same constitutional rights and protections as any other Indian.”
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