Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference Chief and MLA Handwara Sajjad Gani Lone on Thursday expressed serious concern over reports of harassment of Kashmiris in different parts of the country, urging the Central government to safeguard their dignity and security.
The assault and abuse faced by Kashmiris living and studying across different parts of the country has set a dangerous precedent, especially after social media has fuelled hate against common Kashmiris.
Several Kashmiri students, vendors and businessmen were beaten by mobs after the Pahalgam attack on April 22, which killed 26 people.
Lone said reports of profiling and mistreatment of Kashmiris have become increasingly frequent, adding that stereotyping a Kashmiri has now become a routine practice.
He said the issue is not new, but has grown “more chronic in the last decade.”
Highlighting the anxiety among families back home, Lone said lakhs of Kashmiris live across the country for business, education and work, and their families constantly fear that any adverse incident could endanger their safety. He said these concerns are genuine and require urgent attention.
Lone, while acknowledging that existence of extremism in every society, said, “Such types of people are exceptions and should not be allowed to define or represent the entire population.”
He warned that in the case of Kashmir, “The actions of such radical elements are aimed at ensuring harassment of Kashmiris and pushing them further into a cycle of alienation.”
Lone appealed to the Prime Minister’s Office and the Union Home Ministry to ensure that Kashmiris, like all citizens of India, are treated with dignity and are not subjected to harassment anywhere in the country.
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