Eight activists were detained by the Kerala police in Kochi on Tuesday, April 29, for holding a peaceful gathering by Friends of Palestine against hostilities faced by several Kashmiris across India.
There have been several attacks and online abuse against Kashmiris, in the aftermath of the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that killed atleast 26 people, including a local man who worked as a pony wallah.
Organiser of the gathering, Rejaz M Sheeba Sydeek, told Maktoob Media that although he tried to persuade the police that they would peacefully protest against the ‘collective punishment’ faced by Kashmiris, the station house officer (SHO) of Eranakulam Town South police station refused permission.
The SHO stated such activities could cause inconvenience to the public and an atmosphere of ‘animosity.’
Police booked the eight activists under section 285 (Danger or obstruction in public way), 189(1) (Unlawful Assembly), 191(2)(rioting), and 190 (Liability of members of unlawful assembly) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
The FIR states that the protestors tried to create a roadblock, disrupting the daily commute and causing inconvenience to the general public.
There has been a rise in attacks on Kashmiris, especially students, residing in various parts of the country, post the Pahalgam terror attack that took place on April 22. The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) reported numerous cases of abuse, intimidation, and physical attacks against Kashmiri students across various states, prompting concerns for their safety and well-being.
The previous day, a Kashmiri student studying at a pharmacy college in Nagpur, Maharashtra, was thrashed by a group of residents.
The same day, two Kashmiri shawl sellers were slapped by a group of local men and forced to shut their shop in Uttarakhand’s Mussoorie.
Several Kashmiri students complained of having to vacate their hostels and rented houses in states like Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh.
At Chandigarh’s Universal Group of Institutions in Derabassi, students were reportedly attacked with sharp objects within the hostel grounds, leaving one seriously injured.
Kashmiri Muslim women are facing rampant Islamophobic and sexual comments and call for rape by right-wing handlers on social media platforms.
