JKSA urges Amit Shah to step in after attacks on Kashmiri vendors
After 18 reported assaults on Kashmiri shawl sellers in Himachal Pradesh this year, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) is asking Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take action.
The latest attack left vendor Jehangir Ahmad hospitalized after he was beaten, threatened, and had his belongings destroyed.
A video of the assault circulated on social media, but Ahmad's own phone was destroyed when he attempted to record the incident.
Despite promises from state leaders to help, police allegedly discouraged him from filing a complaint.
Why does it matter?
These attacks have made many young Kashmiris living and working outside their home state feel unsafe and unwelcome.
JKSA says the lack of real action is pushing students and traders to leave, disrupting their studies and livelihoods.
The JKSA letter warns that letting these crimes go unpunished risks making Kashmiris feel alienated in their own country—and that's something that could hurt national unity for everyone.