Kashmiri Shawl Vendors Flee Mussoorie After Assault, Say Police Failed to Ensure Safety

Srinagar, Apr 30, CNS: At least 16 Kashmiri shawl vendors have hastily left Mussoorie after two of their fellow tradesmen were assaulted by a group of men on the town's bustling Mall Road last week. The incident, captured on video and widely circulated online, has raised serious concerns about the safety of seasonal Kashmiri workers in the popular Uttarakhand hill station.
According to reports, the attack occurred on April 23 when a group of local men, allegedly affiliated with the Bajrang Dal, beat and verbally abused two vendors, while demanding their identity proofs and ordering them to vacate the town. The footage shows repeated assaults and intimidation targeting the Kashmiris.

Police told a Delhi-based media outlet that three accused—Suraj Singh, Pradeep Singh, and Abhishek Uniyal—were arrested under Section 81 of the Uttarakhand Police Act, which deals with disorderly conduct in public places. However, the trio was released soon after being challaned and offering an apology.

One of the victims, 36-year-old Shabir Ahmed Dar from Kupwara, said he and others had been visiting Mussoorie every summer for nearly 20 years without facing any hostility. “We have lived near the mosque and worked here for 18 years. Our families have known locals for decades,” he said. “But this time, no one came to our defence. When we went to the police around 11 pm, they said they couldn’t help and warned us of threats against Kashmiris after the Pahalgam incident. They advised us to leave.”

Fearing for their lives and unable to rely on local law enforcement, Dar contacted his brother in Kashmir, who reached out to a senior officer back home. Still, no assurances were given. That same night, Dar and 15 other vendors packed up and left Mussoorie for Dehradun, eventually making their way back to Jammu and then to Kashmir.

Another vendor, Javed Ahmed, 30, said they were forced to abandon goods worth an estimated Rs 12 lakh. “Our fathers traded shawls here for decades without facing such humiliation. We don’t know if we’ll ever return,” he said.(CNS)