Kashmiri students face harassment, social isolation after ‘White-Collar Terror’ arrests: Report
_vb_11.jpeg)
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.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
RCB beat MI by 18 runs after batters fire
Mumbai (PTI): Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli blasted half-centuries as the defending champions beat Mumbai Indians by 18 runs in an Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.
Salt (78 off 36 balls) and Kohli (50 off 38 balls) stitched together a 120-run stand for the opening wicket before Patidar scored a rapid 53 off just 20 balls as RCB posted 240 for 4.
In response, Mumbai Indians were restricted to 222 for 5, with RCB spinner Suyash Sharma (2/47) putting the skids on the home side with a double strike in the eighth over, from which they could not recover.
Sherfane Rutherford top-scored for MI with an unbeaten 71 off 31 balls.
While opener Rohit Sharma appeared to be struggling with a hamstring issue and had to retire hurt on 19, his partner Ryan Rickelton made 37, while Suryakumar Yadav (33) and Hardik Pandya (40) were the other contributors for MI.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 240 for 4 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 78, Virat Kohli 50, Rajat Patidar 53, Tim David 35 not out).
Mumbai Indians: 222 for 5 in 20 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 71 not out, Ryan Rickelton 37, Hardik Pandya 40; Suyash Sharma 2/47).
