The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association said on Monday that Kashmiri students in several northern states were being subjected to profiling, intimidation and even eviction following the November 10 blast near Delhi’s Red Fort.
At a press conference in New Delhi, the association’s national convenor, Nasir Khuehami, said the aftermath of the explosion had led to what he described as a wave of “collective suspicion” against Kashmiris. He noted that troubling reports were coming in from universities and residential areas in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi.
He said that students from the community were being singled out after the incident, alleging that many had faced harassment both on campuses and in their neighbourhoods. According to him, some landlords had asked Kashmiri tenants to vacate their accommodation immediately, prompting several students to return home out of fear, Maktoob Media reported.
The association cautioned that such widespread suspicion could disrupt students’ academic routines. Khuehami said accounts of intense questioning and verification drives had left many students unsettled, and some had abandoned their campuses abruptly to avoid stigma.
He added that social media was worsening the situation by amplifying prejudices and portraying Kashmiris as potential threats, calling this kind of generalised suspicion both unfair and dangerous.
Khuehami appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and prevent what he described as the vilification of Kashmiri students. He told PTI that Kashmiri youth believed in India’s democracy and mainstream society rather than in terrorism, but were nonetheless facing profiling by authorities and local residents in several states.
He also said the association supported any legitimate investigation into the blast, but urged the Union government to protect Kashmiri students and prevent collective suspicion about the community. He stressed that Kashmiris were equal citizens of India.
The November 10 explosion near the Red Fort metro station killed 13 people, and the Union government labelled it a “terrorist incident” two days later. The driver of the car that exploded is believed to be Umar Nabi, a resident of Kashmir.
Following the incident, police in Faridabad carried out checks on more than 500 people from Jammu and Kashmir as part of heightened security measures, according to PTI.