SRINAGAR: Kashmir Chambers of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Tuesday asked Civil Society of India to ensure the safety of Kashmiris as there are reports that many Kashmiris are being harassed in different parts of India after the militant attack on CRPF bus killing 49 CRPF personnel on February, 14, in Pulwama.
KCCI senior-vice-president, Nasir Hamid Khan, while addressing a press conference here in Srinagar said that the trade body has been watching with growing concern the role being played by its Jammu counterpart, Jammu Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
He stated that “The Jammu Chamber had issued a call for Jammu Bandh on the 18h of February 2019. Resultantly, the State witnessed incidents of violence and harassment of our people, Lives and properties of our people were damaged and brotherhood was threatened. Our people in Jammu, Dehradun and other places were suffered from injuries and pain. Students were asked to leave educational institutions and college premises. Shops of our people were ransacked and set on fire. Vehicles belonging to them were set ablaze.”
He said negative propaganda by print and electronic media fomented communal behaviour. “Our people had to run from place to place to save themselves from goons and hooligans while risking their lives.”
[also_read url=”https://www.siasat.com/news/pulwama-kashmiris-across-india-threaten-thrash-right-wing-activists-1468319/”]Pulwama: Kashmiris across India threaten; thrash by right-wing activists[/also_read]
Responding to the remarks made by several politicians asking people not to visit Kashmir, KCCI General Sectary said that tourism sector has already suffered and it cannot be allowed to suffer further because of few individuals and groups who are out to create hatred and enmity amongst various communities. “Forthcoming elections cannot be fought on the sweat and blood of our people. The attempts to gain political mileage out of tragedies is condemnable,” he said.
Khan also said that the government should arrest all the miscreants who damaged the property of innocent people and disturbed communal harmony in the state. According to several press reports, criminal proceedings have been initiated against only 1 miscreant. We believe that the State action should have been fast to prevent damage properties and to ensure the safety of our people in the interest of promoting regional relations,” he added.
Earlier former J&K Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and political rivals Mehbooba Mufti made a joint appeal and on Monday and urged the Centre to ensure the “safety and security of Kashmiris everywhere”.
[also_read url=”https://www.siasat.com/news/kashmiri-doctor-kolkata-faces-threats-after-pulwama-terror-attack-asked-go-back-1468612/”]Kashmiri doctor in Kolkata faces threats after Pulwama terror attack, asked to ‘go back’[/also_read]