KASHMIRI STUDENTS DESERVE SAFE SPACES

The attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, left the entire nation shocked and grieving.

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The loss of innocent lives has rightly drawn widespread condemnation. However, the tragic incident has also unmasked a recurring and deeply disturbing pattern Kashmiri students and traders outside the Valley were found once again bearing the brunt of collective outrage for a crime they had no part in.

In just six days following the attack, at least 17 incidents of targeted harassment were reported from across the country, many involving right-wing outfits attempting to stoke communal tensions. In Punjab, Kashmiri students were attacked on campus with sticks and sharp weapons. In Uttarakhand, they were threatened with expulsion from their colleges. In Delhi, a student at Jamia Millia Islamia was reportedly assaulted, while in Himachal Pradesh and Mussoorie, Kashmiri shawl vendors faced physical intimidation and were forced to flee. The pattern is unmistakable, and the message implicit: whenever violence occurs in Kashmir, all Kashmiris are suspects.

The Pahalgam attack has underscored a painful truth: we lack a concrete, institutional mechanism to ensure the safety of Kashmiri students studying in different parts of the country. Their security cannot be left to the shifting whims of public sentiment.