DEHRADUN: A Kashmiri shawl vendor was allegedly assaulted, robbed and issued expulsion threats by a group of Bajrang Dal activists in Kashipur, Udham Singh Nagar district, prompting the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) to write to the Uttarakhand Director General of Police (DGP) seeking immediate action.

The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of Kashmiri traders operating seasonally in the hill state.

The victim has been identified as Bilal Ahmed Ganie, a resident of Kupwara in Kashmir, who has reportedly been selling shawls in Udham Singh Nagar for nearly a decade without incident.

Speaking to TNIE, Nasir Khuehami, National Convenor of the JKSA, detailed the ordeal. “Despite his long-standing presence and peaceful conduct, Bilal Ahmed was brutally assaulted, his stock of shawls was looted, he was threatened with death, and instructed to vacate the area and leave the state immediately,” Khuehami said.

The alleged forced eviction not only stripped the vendor of his livelihood but also instilled fear among the wider Kashmiri business community in the region.

“Such acts have created an atmosphere of fear and terror not only for the victim but also for other Kashmiri traders who depend on seasonal work in the region,” Khuehami added.