Mirwaiz urges people to trust Kashmiris, ensure locals’ safety

SRINAGAR — Kashmir’s chief cleric and Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Wednesday urged the people of India not to fall prey to “hatred and media propaganda” creating mistrust of Kashmiris and reciprocate in ensuring their safety.

Mirwaiz was responding to a report which revealed that at least 16 shawl sellers from Kashmir left Mussoorie after two vendors were allegedly attacked by locals last week.

“The physical and verbal assault on Kashmiri shawl vendors in Mussoorie, who had to flee when police refused to guarantee their safety, is very disturbing,” he said in a post on X.

“After large-scale detentions, demolition of homes, and crackdowns inside Kashmir, ordinary citizens, students, and small traders outside of J&K are being attacked and forced to return,” Mirwaiz added.

The Kashmir’s chief cleric said that Kashmiris were themselves at the receiving end of all forms of violence and subsequent suffering for decades.

“Kashmiris’ condemnation, empathy, and grief for the victims of the Pahalgam bloodbath is straight from the heart, yet they are being vilified and targeted,” he said.

“I appeal to the people of India not to fall prey to hatred and media propaganda creating mistrust of Kashmiris, and reciprocate in ensuring their safety, as they have always done in times of crisis towards all visitors and tourists. The collective punishment being meted out to them both inside and outside Jammu and Kashmir is unjust and inhuman,” Mirwaiz added.