In the span of just 24 hours, explicit calls for the expulsion of Kashmiri students and incitements to violence have surfaced – triggering reported assaults in at least ten locations.
Published Apr 24, 2025 | 6:16 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 24, 2025 | 6:16 PM
(Clockwise from left) Kashmiri students being attacked on the campus of Maharajgunj medical college. The the Hindu Raksha Dal members stage; Hindutva outfit Hindu Raksha Dal openly issued threats to identify and physically assault Kashmiri Muslim students; Hindutva leader Swami Anand Swaroop calling for violence against Kashmiri Muslims.
Synopsis: Kashmiri students studying across India are facing a sharp rise in threats, violence, and expulsions following the Pahalgam terror attack, as right-wing and Hindutva groups use the incident to incite communal hatred against Indian Muslims. Student organisations from Jammu and Kashmir have issued emergency advisories and are urging state governments to act, amid growing reports of harassment and attacks in states including Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh.
As the country mourns the 26 civilians killed in Tuesday’s terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, claimed by a Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot, Kashmiri students across northern states are facing a wave of targeted hate and violence.
Fringe right-wing groups and Hindutva outfits have seized the attack as an opportunity to fuel communal tensions, spreading hate online and inciting violence on the ground.
In the span of just 24 hours, explicit calls for the expulsion of Kashmiri students and incitements to violence have surfaced – triggering reported assaults in at least ten locations.
Aqib Yousuf, Leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Federation (JKSF), told South First that their helplines have been inundated with distress calls from students in northern states, particularly Uttarakhand, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh.
“Many students say they no longer feel safe and are pleading for help to return home,” he said.
In response, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) issued an emergency advisory, circulating helpline numbers and urging immediate intervention from state governments.
Ummar Jamal, the Association’s National President, echoed similar concerns. “We are receiving nonstop distress calls. Attacks and intimidation are continuing in several states,” he said.
The JKSA has appealed to Uttarakhand’s Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, calling on him to guarantee student safety and take firm action against those issuing such threats.
South First has verified several videos circulating online from Uttarakhand and other parts of the country. From memes to social media posts, a distressing pattern in which Indian Muslims are being unfairly blamed for the terror attack has emerged.
A student studying in Uttarakhand, further shared videos with South First that showed members of Hindu right-wing groups issuing open threats, calling on Kashmiri Muslims to leave and return to Kashmir.
On Wednesday, the Hindu Raksha Dal, a Hindutva group known for routine instances of violence and threats against Muslims, issued an open threat, warning Muslim Kashmiri students they would be “picked up one by one” if they did not vacate Uttarakhand by 10 am the next day.
Meanwhile, Suvendu Adhikari, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal assembly, engaged in a more subtle form of inciting violence – doxxing the address of two Kashmiri individuals on X.
His justification? The area they live in has a high-speed wireless broadband antenna – a completely unrelated detail that could now put those students’ lives in danger.
JKSA president Jamal recounted one of the most disturbing episodes so far – a mob attack on Kashmiri students at the Universal Group of Institutions in Derabassi, near Chandigarh.
“Over 100 students were attacked inside their hostel by a mob armed with sharp weapons. Clothes were torn, one student was seriously injured, and no help came. The warden was powerless, and the lone security guard remained stationed at the gate. Punjab Police failed to provide timely assistance,” he said.
The JKSA has called on Punjab’s Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to launch an inquiry and hold negligent college and police officials accountable.
Similar reports have emerged from Arni University in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh.
“Students were labelled ‘terrorists’, harassed, and forced to vacate their hostel rooms by right-wing groups who broke in at night,” said Jamal.
Yousuf also reported that two Kashmiri students at the Central University of Haryana in Mahendergarh were harassed by a group of 12 men while heading to a local market.
Meanwhile, in Uttarakhand, students from Alpine College contacted the Federation late last night, fearing threats allegedly made by groups linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh..
“We are not feeling safe here,” they said. Yousuf confirmed that around 30 students have already left and returned to Kashmir amid the worsening atmosphere.
In light of the violence, Jamal said both state and Union governments are being urged to take immediate emergency measures for student safety. He added that efforts are now underway to safely facilitate the return of as many students to Kashmir as possible.
One of those students is Shamsul Haq, from Kulgam district, currently studying in Uttarakhand.
“There are around 30 to 40 students studying at Alpine College in Uttarakhand,” he told South First. “Yesterday, a video was circulated in our area about some group threatening that all Kashmiri students must leave Uttarakhand by 10 am or face attacks. That left us terrified. We did not feel safe anymore, so we all decided to leave.”
By the time South First spoke to the group, they had reached Uttarakhand airport and were preparing to fly back to Kashmir.
Now, they say they are deeply worried – not just about their safety, but about the future of their education.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
