Kashmiri students deserve safe spaces

The Hindu

21-05-2025

The attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, left the entire nation shocked and grieving. 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.
The true goal of perpetrators' attacks, such as Pahalgam, is not only to kill, but to divide — to erode trust, rupture social harmony, and provoke suspicion among communities. When innocent Kashmiri students are vilified, the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack succeed in their larger aim.
Let us be clear: harassing Kashmiri students is not an act of patriotism; it is an act of surrender to the forces that seek to tear this country apart from within.
It is also worth noting that this is not a new phenomenon. Kashmiri students have faced repeated bouts of backlash whenever violence erupts in the Valley or soldiers are killed in action. It is a dangerous generalisation that equates an entire community with the actions of terrorists. Many of these students have left behind conflict, poverty, and trauma in search of a better life through education. Instead of support, they find themselves alienated, excluded, and criminalised for simply being Kashmiri.
Call for safeguards
Universities and educational institutions must become safe havens, not pressure chambers. It is the moral and legal responsibility of college administrations, law enforcement, and civil society to ensure that Kashmiri students are not made scapegoats during national crises. Academic institutions should designate grievance officers, develop anti-discrimination protocols, and work in tandem with local police to prevent mob-led vigilantism.
Beyond policy, we must confront the psychological toll that this backlash inflicts. These students already carry the trauma of growing up in tough times. To demand that they constantly prove their loyalty or condemn every act of violence to validate their belonging is a form of emotional coercion that no other student group in the country is subjected to. It creates a culture of fear, forcing them to hide their identities, withdraw from campus life, and live in a state of constant anxiety.
If we truly wish to honour the memory of the 26 victims, we must not fall into the trap of communal reaction. We must respond with institutional resolve. As a nation, we must commit to protecting the innocent from collective blame. This means more than symbolic gestures — it demands action. The Ministry of Education must work with State governments to formulate a national policy to safeguard Kashmiri students during crises.
Let us not allow perpetrators of such attacks to script our national responses. Let us not confirm their prophecy that one violent act is enough to cause a dent in the social fabric. Let our answer to violence be unity, not vengeance. Let our strength lie in compassion, not retaliation.
Kashmiri students do not need our suspicion — they need our solidarity. What we need now are concrete measures, formal protections, and a commitment to never let innocent youth suffer for crimes that they neither commit nor condone.
Ummar Jamal is the national president of the J&K students association