Uttarakhand: 18-year-old Kashmiri shawl seller assaulted near Dehradun

An 18-year-old Kashmiri man selling shawls with his family was assaulted by a group of persons in Uttarakhand on Wednesday, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association said. His cousin was also allegedly assaulted, and suffered minor injuries.

The man, Tabish Ahmed, was stopped in the Vikas Nagar area near Dehradun and questioned about his identity, The New Indian Express quoted the student association as saying. The assault allegedly began after he told the group that he was a Muslim and from Kashmir.

Ahmed’s left arm has been fractured and he has suffered serious head injuries, the student body said. He was first taken to a local hospital and later referred to Dehradun’s Doon Hospital for further treatment.

Nasir Khuehami, the national convenor of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, said that the police have filed a case under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to voluntarily causing grievous hurt and intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace. He said that he spoke to Director General of Police Deepam Seth, who assured him that the strongest possible action would be taken.

“This is a welcome first step, but accountability must be time-bound, transparent, and exemplary,” Khuehami said.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said such attacks were unacceptable, and had to stop. “It can’t be claimed that J&K is an inalienable part of India while people from Kashmir, in other parts of the country, live in fear for their lives,” he said. “My Government will step in where ever necessary & will do whatever is needed to ensure these incidents are not repeated.”

Abdullah said he spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and urged him to take strict action against the perpetrators.

Commenting on the attack, Congress leader Pawan Khera said that while Kashmiri artistry is celebrated, the people behind it are denied dignity, safety and respect.

“What message does that send?” he asked. “That Kashmiri beauty is valuable. Kashmiri labour is useful. But Kashmiri lives are expendable.”

In December as well, a Kashmiri shawl seller named Bilal Ahmed Ganie was attacked in Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar when he was going from door to door to sell shawls. He said he was assaulted by men who demanded that he shout “Bharat mata ki jai”.