Kashmiri shawl sellers harassed across Uttarakhand, UP, Punjab
Srinagar: Kashmiri street vendors and traders are facing increasing harassment in northern India, with three separate incidents reported within 24 hours across Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab, raising concerns over profiling and vigilante policing.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, a local right-wing activist confronted Kashmiri shawl sellers, accusing them of operating without police verification and insinuating, without evidence, possible involvement in illegal activities.
In Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, two Kashmiri youths were stopped, questioned, and had their identity documents and phones seized by Bajrang Dal members under the guise of “verification.”
In Ludhiana, Punjab, a Kashmiri walnut trader from Kulgam was physically assaulted over a minor discrepancy in his stock while being questioned about his identity and the source of his goods.
The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) and civil society groups have condemned these incidents, calling for an end to vigilantism in the name of verification. The repeated harassment has left Kashmiri traders fearing profiling and intimidation while carrying out legitimate seasonal trade inside India.
