New Delhi: Kashmiri students in Delhi are reporting isolation, fear and open hostility after the recent Red Fort blast. Many say people treat them with suspicion and accuse them of links to violence. Students shared accounts of disturbing remarks at colleges and discrimination at local shops.
Ibrahim, a 19 year old from Srinagar studying at a Delhi University college, said classmates taunted him when he returned to class after the incident. A student shouted at him to tell his parents to stop terror activities. He said he left home only to study and now stays inside his room because he feels unsafe. He said he hid his identity at a food stall after the blast.
Munazah, a 20 year old student from Anantnag, said she refuses to hide her identity despite family pressure. She said a shopkeeper in North Campus refused to sell her milk and told her he does not sell to Muslims. She said her classmates ask if she is carrying weapons in her bag. She said such comments do not feel like jokes.
Students from Jamia Millia Islamia and other colleges shared similar experiences. One student from Poonch said she avoids stepping out because she is scared. Another student, Nafisa, said a junior told her to go home or she would blow everyone up. She said people stare at her in the metro and she prefers public transport because it feels safer.
Delhi University increased security checks on November 12, but did not address the safety concerns of students from Jammu and Kashmir. The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association said students across northern States are facing eviction and intimidation. The group urged the Prime Minister to intervene and stop the vilification of Kashmiri students.
