Kashmiri students face harassment, social isolation after ‘White-Collar Terror’ arrests: Report
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Srinagar: In a concerning development, Kashmiri students studying outside the Union Territory are reporting increasing harassment, social isolation and suspicion following the arrests linked to “white-collar terror module” and the recent Red Fort blast.
Multiple accounts from students across northern Indian states shared that the atmosphere around them changed abruptly after the arrest of two Kashmiri doctors accused of having ties to the alleged module, reported by Deccan Herald on Wednesday.
What began as security checks, students said, has now seeped into daily discrimination and suspicion.
Some students shared that they were refused basic services such as groceries at local shops. Others reported that classmates made insinuations about their families having terror links after the Delhi explosion. Many described a shift in how landlords, neighbours and peers treated them, marked by mistrust, side-glances,and, at times, direct intimidation, added the report.
In Faridabad, more than 2,000 Kashmiri students living in rented accommodations were recently questioned by local police to verify any possible connection to the module. Students said that although the checks were presented as routine security measures, the scale and tone of the exercise left them feeling targeted and vulnerable.
Political leaders and civil society groups in Jammu and Kashmir have urged the Centre to ensure that counter-terror investigations do not lead to blanket suspicion of Kashmiri youth. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah appealed to the Union government and security agencies on Tuesday to distinguish clearly between pursuing those responsible for the blast and stereotyping an entire community. “The guilty must face the harshest legal consequences but innocent students and ordinary citizens must not be made collateral damage in the process,” he said.
The J&K Students Association also issued a statement saying that Kashmiri students in several northern states are being subjected to profiling, sudden evictions, unexplained interrogations and intimidation linked to the Red Fort incident. Calling the situation deeply troubling, the Association urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step in to safeguard the rights, dignity and safety of Kashmiri students studying outside the Union Territory.
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Attack on Indian-flagged merchant ship off Oman coast unacceptable: MEA
New Delhi (PTI): An Indian-flagged commercial vessel has come under attack off the coast of Oman but all its 14 crew members are safe, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.
It is not immediately known who carried out the strike on the vessel on Wednesday.
The MEA described the attack as "unacceptable".
"The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable and we deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted," it said.
"All Indian crew on board are safe and we thank the Omani authorities for rescuing them," it said.
The MEA said India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided.
The vessel was sailing from Somalia and the strike triggered a fire that led to sinking of the vessel, it is learnt.
The crew members were rescued by Oman's Coast Guard and taken to Diba port.
At least two other Indian-flagged ships have been attacked since the war between the US and Iran began on February 28.
The latest attack came amid the fragile security situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
