Many parts of the country evidenced immense violence and ‘boycott’ of Kashmiris throughout India, after the tragic Pulwama massacre by JeM militant in Kashmir, which resulted in the tragic death of 44 of India’s brave soldiers.
Dehradun, Haryana, Bihar and some of the other states witnessed violence against ‘Kashmiri’ students and businessman.
In many parts of our great Nation, Kashmiri students were ‘beaten’, the shops of ‘kashmiri’ businessman were ‘vandalised’. An angry ‘mob’ even surrounded a girl’s hostel in which Kashmiri students ere residing.
Jibran Nazir Dar, a Kashmiri journalist working for the Times of India newspaper in the western city of Pune told the BBC he had been beaten by a group of men who shouted “go back to Kashmir”, he said.
Amongst ‘wisemen’, The Governor of Meghalaya even suggested that the everything that is Kashmiri must be ‘boycotted’ .
Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy stirred hornet’s nest by expressing solidarity with call given by retired Army Colonel to “boycott everything that is Kashmiri” in view of recent Pulwama terror attack
Read @ANI Story| https://t.co/ZvTwA4alAK pic.twitter.com/8dNMgbwYhO
— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) February 19, 2019
In a response to that the CPI(M) demanded to sack the Governor.
@cpimspeak calls for sacking of Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy. The party said the Governor's remarks on "boycotting Kashmiri" people violates the Constitution of India. pic.twitter.com/9GIr73pAIA
— Archis Mohan अर्चिस (@ArchisMohan) February 21, 2019
Situation worsened to such an extent that the Home Ministry had to issue an advisory mentioning that the Kashmiris be provided security.
The ‘CRPF’, even after suffering from such a huge ‘loss’ launched a helpline number for ‘Kashmiris’ ‘stuck’ and ‘tormented’ throughout India, with the ‘motive’ of extending help and support to them.
Zulfiquar Hasan, CRPF: Our helpline-14411 has been helping Kashmiris across the country in wake of this attack.Lot of Kashmiri students have approached this helpline for help all over the country. All Kashmiri children studying outside have been taken care of by security forces. pic.twitter.com/YVfeziJiG9
— ANI (@ANI) February 19, 2019
Social Media could be seen flooded with messages filled with hatred and vice for the ‘Kashmiris’, some even labelled them as ‘terrorists’ and ‘Pakistani’. Many self declared ‘pandits’ even went a step further and decided to call for a war, against ‘Pakistan’.
Many senior journalists including Ravish Kumar, Abhisar Sharma, Rajdeep Sardesai, Barkha Dutt and others received ‘death’ and ‘rape’ threats, angry vigilantes labelled them as ‘terrorist’ and ‘Pakistani’ and were suggested to leave the country.
All of this journalists put their ‘tragic’ experience of being abused unto public domain, in their respective channels and shows.
I had close to 1000 abusive messages and calls in a Cordinated and violent mob attack. These included a message to shoot me, a nude photo, many sexually abusive messages. I outed the men who did this. Twitter locked me till many of the details were taken down. I wroe this to them pic.twitter.com/XRyx9xbjcV
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) February 19, 2019
The Editors Guild of India condemned the abuse and trolling of journalists and sought ‘necessary actions from the government, to bring the abusers to ‘justice’.
Editors guild condemns abuse and intimidation against senior journos…says the Govt must take necessary steps to bring the abusers to book @BDUTT @sardesairajdeep @abhisar_sharma pic.twitter.com/kLU6tZwwNx
— Marya Shakil (@maryashakil) February 22, 2019
Senior Journalist, Abhisar Sharma’s contact number was ‘publicised’ by unknown social media cells and he received ‘abusive’ and ‘threatening’. As Abhisar Sharma said, many people who called him were in total ‘unawareness’ of whom they called or for what reason, but they did surely call, in an exclusive attempt to ‘abuse’ and ‘threat’ him, saying that they got his number from the social media.
That is because the man you eulogize has normalized hate in this country. And leaking number was done by the IT cell goons. I SHALL EXPOSE THEM SOON. Meanwhile you can rot in ur own hate and filth. https://t.co/W1oDkl6mCm
— Abhisar Sharma (@abhisar_sharma) February 21, 2019
But, many people displayed extreme ‘patience’ and ‘wisdom’ in an ‘ecosystem’ filled with ‘hatred’ and ‘war mongering’. They displayed the very ‘ethics’, ‘morale’, ‘richness’ in diversity and ‘countrymen ship’, our great Nation is known for.
‘Khalsa’ Aid Group, a world reknowned ‘Sikh’ NGO rescued more than 300 Kashmiris to Jammu from Dehradun and other parts. They arranged buses and security for the “kashmiris’. They were even seen guarding establishments in which Kashmiri people resided. Khalsa Aid group arranged ‘Langers’ for them too. The NGO is known to the entire World for its aid Aid in War and disaster torn places throughout the globe.
https://twitter.com/Khalsa_Aid/status/1098564696138022913
https://twitter.com/Khalsa_Aid/status/1098556962541916160
Undoubtedly and definitely, The Khalsa Aid Group displayed the ‘spirit’, ‘unity’ and ‘integrity’ of being an Indian, as always set an example for the generations to come.
They stand with ‘humanity ‘ they say.
https://twitter.com/Khalsa_Aid/status/1098857177584988160
A ‘cartoon’ released by ‘The Kashmiri Life’ depicts it all.
https://twitter.com/TheKashmiriLife/status/1098923447277637633
In response to that, many Kashmiris were also seen extending their ‘gratitude’ towards the ‘Sikh’ communities.
On 21st February , The Supreme Court of India, issued notice to the central Government and 10 other states, sought their response on a plea seeking its intervention to prevent alleged attacks on Kashmiri students in the wake of Pulwama attack.
The 10 states are Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Meghalaya, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Punjab and Maharashtra.
Supreme Court issues notice to the Central government and 10 states and seeks their response on a plea seeking its intervention to prevent alleged attacks on Kashmiri students in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack. pic.twitter.com/FCkbOiIKWg
— ANI (@ANI) February 22, 2019
In a response to that the Central government on Friday, asked all states to ensure security of people belonging to Jammu and Kashmir amidst reports of they were being attacked after the Pulwama attack.
This was notified by the Home ministry in an advisory to all states following a directive of the Supreme Court, which took up a petition in this regard.
Days after attack, around 2500 Kashmiri youth lined up in a recruitment drive by Indian Army in North Kashmir.
Around 2500 Kashmiri youth participated in recruitment rally of Indian Army in Baramulla against 111 vacancies
Read @ANI Story| https://t.co/fxevtKeP0Z pic.twitter.com/IThJVAiPEp
— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) February 19, 2019
“To fill these posts we started a recruitment drive from February 18 which will continue till February 23. Almost 3,500 people have applied so far and many more are still coming,” Col Beniwal said.
Previously, just after the attack, Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister, visited Kashmir and in a statement there he asked the entire nation to maintain the ‘communal harmony’ in the country.
Senior NC leader of Kashmir, former CM of Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, in a press meet expressed in grief that even the PM of the country and the ‘ opposition party’ i.e. the Congress maintained ‘silence’ regarding the attack on Kashmiris throughout the country.
NC leader & former J&K CM Omar Abdullah: Ek sochi samjhi sazish ke tehet, ek poore kaum ko badnam karne ki koshish ki ja rahi hai. Kashmiriyon ko nishana banaya ja raha hai. Hamare jo bachche bachiyan bahar ke university mein taleem hasil karne gaye, unhe nishana banaya gaya. pic.twitter.com/aztIOpaZFm
— ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2019
NC leader & former J&K CM Omar Abdullah: We've never been in favor of violence & terror, we've only vouched for solution through dialogue. When we talk of dialogue we're branded anti-nationals but in joint statement with Saudi Arabia, the two leaders talk about composite dialogue pic.twitter.com/pmh0epZUGc
— ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2019
Amidst such a ‘dishearteningly’ disastrous tragedy for the country, our enemies would undoubtedly be, much more celebrating by seeing ‘Indians’ fighting with ‘Indians’, a representation of extreme conflict within the country.