SRINAGAR: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Wednesday expressed concern over the reported assault on Kashmiri shawl vendors in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, saying they were forced to flee after police allegedly failed to ensure their safety.
Terming the incident alarming, Mirwaiz said the physical and verbal attacks reflect a larger pattern of targeting Kashmiris across the country.
The physical and verbal assault on Kashmiri shawl vendors in Mussoorie, who had to flee when police refused to guarantee their safety, is very disturbing. After large-scale detentions, demolition of homes, and crackdowns inside Kashmir, ordinary citizens, students, and small…
— Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) April 30, 2025
“The physical and verbal assault on Kashmiri shawl vendors in Mussoorie, who had to flee when police refused to guarantee their safety, is very disturbing. After large-scale detentions, demolition of homes, and crackdowns inside Kashmir, ordinary citizens, students, and small traders outside of J&K are being attacked and forced to return,” Mirwaiz said on X.
Referring to the recent Pahalgam tragedy, Mirwaiz said that despite facing decades of violence and hardship, Kashmiris showed empathy and grief for the victims. “Being themselves at the receiving end of all forms of violence and subsequent suffering for decades, Kashmiris’ condemnation, empathy, and grief for the victims of the Pahalgam bloodbath is straight from the heart, yet they are being vilified and targeted.”
In a public appeal, Mirwaiz urged people across India to reject hate and not fall for media narratives that create mistrust. “I appeal to the people of India not to fall prey to hatred and media propaganda creating mistrust of Kashmiris, and reciprocate in ensuring their safety, as they have always done in times of crisis towards all visitors and tourists. The collective punishment being meted out to them both inside and outside Jammu and Kashmir is unjust and inhuman.”
