Muzaffar Shah highlights contents of letter urging protection and dignity for Kashmiris
Srinagar, Dec 01: J&K Awami National Conference Senior Vice President Muzaffar Shah on Tuesday stated that Party President Begum Khalida Shah has addressed an extensive communication to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, registering profound concern over the escalating harassment and profiling of Kashmiri citizens in the wake of the Delhi incident.
He said her intervention comes at a time when heightened emotions, divisive narratives are resulting in unjust actions against the innocent.
Shah underscored that ANC President has called upon the country’s highest office to uphold constitutional discipline and arrest any slide into collective suspicion, reminding that Kashmir has already endured the grave consequences of such impulses.
𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬:
To
Shri Narendra Modi
Hon’ble Prime Minister of India
New Delhi
Subject: Urgent Intervention Required to Halt the Unwarranted Harassment of Kashmiri Citizens Across the Country Following the Delhi Blast
Esteemed Shri Narendra Modi Ji,
I write to you in my capacity as President of J&K Awami National Conference and as a witness to the turbulent history of Jammu and Kashmir since 1947. I wish to convey my profound disquiet over the deeply troubling reports emerging from several states in the aftermath of the unfortunate blast near the Red Fort.
The incident, though serious and deserving of the strongest investigative attention, has regrettably resulted in an indiscriminate hounding of Kashmiri citizens residing outside the Valley. This pattern of behaviour is neither justified by circumstance nor compatible with the foundational principles upon which this Republic stands.
In recent days, Kashmiri students, professionals, traders, and ordinary families have found themselves subjected to intrusive questioning, arbitrary detentions, housing discrimination, and social hostility. Such conduct, directed solely on account of their ethnic and regional identity, amounts to a form of collective suspicion that is out of place in a constitutional democracy.
The reduction of an entire community to the status of a security suspect is antithetical to justice and strikes at the very heart of equality before law.
It must also be emphasised, without reservation or ambiguity, that we, the residents of Jammu and Kashmir, have always condemned and shall continue to condemn terrorism in all its manifestations—be it violent extremism, white-collar complicity, covert networks or any form of destabilising activity that threatens the peace and sovereignty of the nation. Our unequivocal rejection of such forces makes the present wave of profiling even more painful and unjust.
This phenomenon carries grave implications:
First, it encourages ethnic profiling and a philosophy of collective punishment that has no legal or moral standing. Innocent citizens are made to bear the burden of an act with which they have no association, thereby alienating a community that has already endured decades of conflict and uncertainty. Pertinently, Kashmir has endured brutal violence by terrorists and at times, unfortunate excesses by uniformed personnel, leaving the ordinary people consistently at the receiving end.
Second, it erodes civil liberties and generates an atmosphere of fear that corrodes the social trust upon which harmonious coexistence rests.
Third, such targeting weakens the vision of national integration that successive governments have sought to uphold. Instead of fostering emotional bonds between regions, it deepens estrangement and fractures the idea of India as a shared civic space.
Fourth, the emotional and psychological toll on vulnerable individuals, particularly students and young professionals, cannot be overstated. Many are experiencing trauma, anxiety and social withdrawal at a moment when they most need reassurance and support.
Fifth, these practices have begun to disrupt the educational and economic mobility of Kashmiris across several states. Reports of evictions, denial of services, and workplace hostility demonstrate an alarming drift that, if left unchecked, will impede their participation in the economic and academic life of the nation.
Sixth, the prejudicial rush to attribute culpability undermines the credibility of investigative processes. When an entire community is placed under suspicion, due process is compromised and confidence in institutions is eroded.
Furthermore, action must remain strictly confined to individuals involved in anti-national activities, not entire communities, their families, or institutions unconnected to such acts. It is deeply concerning that certain Muslim institutions are being targeted arbitrarily and portrayed as havens for terrorism based solely on the misconduct of a few, a practice that is unjust, harmful, and must end.
Hon’ble Minister, this climate of indiscriminate hostility is not merely unjust to the individuals affected; it is injurious to the integrity of the nation. Unity cannot be sustained through suspicion, nor can national security be strengthened by alienating those who must feel secure within the national fold.
A principled and measured response is required. One that protects citizens while ensuring that law enforcement operates strictly within constitutional limits.
I therefore earnestly urge your intervention to issue clear and unequivocal directions to state authorities and law enforcement agencies to put an immediate end to such practices. A reaffirmation of constitutional safeguards, coupled with strong administrative oversight, is essential at this critical juncture.
Only through fairness, restraint, and a commitment to equal dignity can we prevent further social fissures and restore faith in the institutions tasked with protecting all citizens.
I remain hopeful that your esteemed office will treat this matter with the urgency and gravity it warrants and will take decisive measures to safeguard the rights, dignity, and security of Kashmiri citizens across the country.
With respectful regards,
Begum Khalida Shah
President
Awami National Conference
Srinagar, J&K
