JAMMU: PDP legislator Waheed Ur Rehman Para on Tuesday moved an adjournment motion in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, seeking an urgent discussion on what he described as an alarming rise in hate crimes, harassment and targeted violence against Kashmiri students and working-class citizens in different parts of mainland India.
In his notice to the Assembly Secretariat, the Pulwama MLA urged the suspension of all listed business of the House to take up the matter, terming it an issue of “urgent public importance”.
Para said credible reports from several states suggest that Kashmiri students living in hostels and rented accommodations, as well as Kashmiri labourers employed in factories, hotels and small establishments, have been subjected to verbal abuse, threats, forced evictions, physical assaults and social boycotts solely on the basis of their identity.
“These incidents have created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among thousands of Kashmiri youth who have gone outside the Union Territory for education and employment,” the notice stated, adding that parents in Jammu and Kashmir are living under constant anxiety over the safety and dignity of their children.
The PDP legislator said the issue involves the fundamental constitutional rights to life, liberty, equality and dignity, affects a large number of people from Jammu and Kashmir, and has the potential to harm national integration and social harmony.
Observing that incidents continue to be reported despite assurances from authorities, Para said existing measures appear to be “insufficient and reactive rather than preventive”.
Through the adjournment motion, he sought immediate protection and security arrangements for Kashmiri students and workers across India, strict action against perpetrators of hate crimes, and the establishment of helplines, nodal officers and safe accommodation facilities in vulnerable regions.
He also called for coordinated intervention by the Union Government and concerned state governments, asserting that the gravity of the situation warrants immediate discussion and cannot be deferred to routine legislative business.
