Kashmir Digits

Kashmiri students were allegedly attacked at educational institutions in Punjab after Pakistan beat India by 10 wickets in the T20 World Cup.

Students from Bhai Gurdas Institute of Engineering and Technology in Punjab’s Sangrur district shared videos of the “attack” from inside their hostel post the match. Similar reports also came in from the Rayat Bahrat University in Kharar.

“Kashmiri students who were assaulted in Sangrur and Kharar Mohali told me that they were rescued by the locals and other Panjabi students. Students from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana had barged into their rooms, thrashed them and went on a rampage,” Nasir Khuehami, the national spokesperson J&K Students Association, claimed.

In a video from Sangrur college, one of the students accused the security guard for allegedly allowing a group of students from UP to enter their rooms and assault them. Later, Punjab Police officials reached the college and spoke to the Kashmiri students.

Another set of pictures showed a group of men, with stumps in hand, going on a rampage after India lost the match to Pakistan.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to look into the matter and reassure Kashmiri students.

“It is distressing to hear about the incidents of physical & verbal assault against some Kashmiri students in a college in Punjab last night. I request @CHARANJITCHANNI ji to direct @PunjabPoliceInd to look in to this & also to reassure the students studying in Punjab,” Mr Abdullah tweeted.

Six victims of the engineering college accused their contemporaries belonging to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for assaulting them after entering their rooms. Even hostel staff didn’t intervene on their complaints, they said.

“The local Punjabi students came to our rescue and tried to save us from the attack,” a victim student told the police.

The students alleged that they were sitting in their rooms when the accused barged into their rooms and started assaulting them in retaliation for losing the match.

Swapan Sharma, SSP Sangrur district, said, “Both sides have offered their apologies in front of the police and college authorities today morning. The issue has been settled down.”

According to reports, at least 4 students were assaulted and beaten in Kharar Mohali after the India-Pakistan Match. “All the students are from Rayat Bahrat University. They said that they were hit by several goons from Haryana,” Khuehami said.

Tagging Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Twitter, Khuehami said, “Such incidents have increased the sense of insecurity and anxiety among Kashmiri youth studying and working outside as well as among their parents and relatives in Kashmir. We demand immediate arrest of all those involved in the assault on Kashmiri students and ensure adequate arrangements for safety, security of our students. The attack on Kashmiri students by some goons is a worrying factor for the students.”