Sikh Community | SabrangIndia

Sikhs helped trapped Muslim women and children escape mob violence

sabrang — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 08:15:24 +0000

Amidst the alarming news of communal violence in Nuh and Gurugram, there still remains a flicker of hope in India’s secular fabric. Despite the efforts of communal forces to undermine India’s secular and pluralistic character, the country’s power to come together during a time of need often helps thwart their attempts to harm the nation’s soul.

As per a report in the Indian Express following communal clashes on August 1 in Nuh, Gurgaon, and other parts of Haryana, the Shahi Masjid in Sohna was vandalised by a mob comprising 70-100 men. Fortunately, the mosque’s Imam, his family, and a group of 10-12 children studying at the madrasa inside managed to escape unharmed. This was made possible by the timely intervention of members of the Sikh community, who conducted a rescue operation amidst the ongoing clashes, according to local witnesses.

The mosque, not only serves as a place of worship but also houses rooms for a few families and classrooms for children.

During the turmoil, the Imam, along with 30 others, including children, sought refuge in the residential quarters within the mosque premises. With the situation becoming increasingly dire, the Imam instructed his brother to escort the women and children to safety behind the mosque. However, the situation took a positive turn when the locals stepped in to help, arriving just in time to assist the vulnerable group.

As per the Indian Express report, one of the locals who played a crucial role in the rescue was Guddu Singh (25), a student from Palwal. Responding to panic calls from residents near the Sohna mosque, Guddu and his fellow locals decided to take action despite the limited presence of only 10-12 policemen against a gathering of hundreds outside the mosque. As the mob continued to wreak havoc inside the mosque, the brave locals turned their attention to the adjacent residential quarters. Their first priority was rescuing the women and children, successfully ensuring their safety.

The #Hindutva mob also attacked the #Sohna Jama Masjid. After the #Hindu mob ran away, many members of the #Sikh community came to help. They arranged buses for the women and children to leave the place. pic.twitter.com/KIKOI5MgfO

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) August 1, 2023

This incident highlights the importance of unity and solidarity in times of crisis, as members of the Sikh community risked their safety to protect their fellow citizens from harm.

An FIR has been registered against unknown persons, reported the Indian Express.

On the morning of August 1, a mosque in Gurgaon’s Sector 57 was also targeted in a violent attack. A large armed mob fired upon and set the mosque on fire around 12:30 am. The chief imam, who was not present at the time, had gone to his village. However, the deputy imam, a 19-year-old, who led prayers in his absence, was brutally assaulted. He suffered 13 sword wounds and had his throat slit, resulting in his death. Another individual on the premises was severely beaten and shot in the knee and is currently in an ICU.

The incidents have already claimed six precious lives and caused a staggering economic loss. The scars of bigotry inflicted are far from easily forgotten.

These stories of everyday love and harmony are not isolated incidents. The Sikh community has had a history of coming to the aid of people in need. Feeding the poor is synonymous with the Sikh Community. However it doesn’t just stop there. In February this year amidst hate-crimes and religious intolerance filling up our timelines a heartwarming video from Indore shows a Muslim woman offering Namaz in a Gurudwara, highlighting co-existence and acceptance in our diverse country. During the anti-CAA protests in Shaheen Bagh, Sikhs and Muslims prepared langar together. There were videos of Sikh and Muslim men exchanging their headdresses and clicking selfies together. Even after the 2019 Pulwama attack the Sikh community from Punjab stepped in and rescued and sheltered many Kashmiri students there who started receiving threats after the attack. These stories of brotherhood and love for fellow countryman restores our faith in humanity.

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Sikh community livid over incorrect naming of Dwarka Park

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 09:31:15 +0000

Two Sikh advocates demanded the renaming of the Banda Singh Bairagi park in Dwarka, Sector 18 on July 11, 2022 in a bid to prevent the “erasure of Sikh history”. Advocates Vasu Kukreja and Harpeet Singh Hora wrote to the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) against the wrongly named park and statue in Sector 18.

Earlier, the local corporation unveiled a statue of Sikh leader Baba Banda Singh Bahadur in the park also named after him to mark the warrior’s death anniversary. However, Sikhs knowledgeable about their history were shocked to see that the name used was ‘Banda Singh Bairagi’ instead of ‘Bahadur’.

While the person did hold the name ‘Madho Das Bairagi’ during his life as an ascetic, he embraced the name ‘Gurbaksh Singh’ on becoming a disciple of Guru Gobind Singh. Later, he became popularly known as ‘Banda Singh Bahadur’.

“Bairagi is a Hindu name. By renaming the park and statue in such a manner they are destroying Sikh history,” Kukreja told SabrangIndia.

Starting a hashtag for Sikh history on social media, he appealed to all Sikhs to raise the issue.

“They are trying to remove our history but we are silent. We should never forget that we are ‘Guru Singh’ who never bowed down. I humbly request you start raising issues, start raising your voices, start asking for rights, else they will be successful. When a non-Sikh can raise this issue why can’t we, they are changing name to Baba Banda Singh Vairagi, when we know it’s Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, now stand up for the sacrifices our gurus made,” said Kukreja.

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A post shared by Adv Vasu Kukreja (@adv.vasu_kukreja)

The park area is not the only region with such a misnaming. An unsuccessful Change.org petition started by a Sarabjot Singh Grover also demanded the renaming of the Veer Banda Bairagi Marg between Partap Nagar metro station and Inderlok metro station in North Delhi.

“Whereas the Great Sikh General after [whom] this road has been named is “Baba Banda Singh Bahadur”. This Name was bestowed upon him by none other than Guru Gobind Singh Sahib. The tenth Guru of Sikhs. Hence, calling the great general and martyr “Veer Banda Bairagi” is not only a dishonor of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, but also a dishonour to Guru Gobindh Singh Sahib,” said Grover in the petition.

Who is Baba Banda Singh Bahadur?

Banda Singh Bahadur was a Sikh warrior and a commander of the Khalsa army. He was born in a Hindu family as Lachman Dev but at 15 years he left home to become an ascetic. It was around this time that he briefly adopted the name Madho Das Bairagi and established a monastery. However, upon meeting Guru Gobind Singh, he became his disciple and took up the name Gurbaksh Singh. He is popularly known as Banda Singh Bahadur.

Accepting five arrows from the Guru for the battles ahead, he led the struggle against the Mughal empire in Sonipat. His first major action was the sacking of the Mughal provincial capital, Samana. Banda Singh Bahadur is also known for abolishing the zamindari system, and granting property rights to land tillers.

According to The Tribune, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also honoured the Sikh leader in 2016. However, even then Modi called the leader ‘a Bairagi who turned into a brave warrior’. Bairagi is the name of a Brahmin caste in Hinduism. The term is firmly opposed by Sikhs who traditionally do not acknowledge the caste system.

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Gurugram: Will the right-wing agenda of dividing Muslims and Sikhs over namaz space succeed?

Mon, 22 Nov 2021 12:19:12 +0000

Image Courtesy:hindustantimes.com

Right-wing forces seem to be keeping their focus on Gurugram. A few days ago, their plans to disrupt namaaz once again were foiled by the Sikh community, which offered the open space in their gurudwara (a Sikh place of worship) compound to the Muslim community for the congregational prayers. According to sources, the prayers, if they were held, would have been outside the main gurudwara in the courtyard or in the basement community hall.

However, the prayers were not held at the gurudwara this Friday. As soon as the news of the Sikh community offering some space to the Muslim community spread, it was reported that right wing groups began building pressure, and even came to protest at the venue. Friday was also Gurpurab, which marks the birth of the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak Dev and is the biggest festival of the community.

Altaf Ahmad, co-founder of Gurugram Nagrik Ekta Manch, a citizens’ group that works towards peace-building, told the media that Muslims were unable to pray in the gurudwara because Hindutva leaders “were waiting outside to disturb communal harmony”. However, a delegation of Muslims did go to visit the Sona Chowk Gurudwara in the Sadar Bazaar area of Gurugram on Friday, to thank the Sikh community for their gesture of peace and fraternity. Mufti Mohammad Saleem, president of the local chapter of the Jamiat Ulema E-Hind.

According to news reports on Gurpurab, over a dozen men who claimed to be members of the Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti, the umbrella body of right-wing Hindutva groups, had gathered outside. The Samiti has been at the forefront of the anti-Namaaz protests that have been held each week in the city that is a part of the National Capital Region. has been opposing namaz in public spaces. This time they distributed copies of a book about the ninth Sikh guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, titled Hindu Dharma ki Raksha ke Liye di Gayi Shaheedi ki Mahaan Gatha, Guru Tegh Bahadur, Hindu di Chaadar (The great saga of martyrdom for the protection of the Hindu religion: Guru Tegh Bahadur, the protector of Hindus). As reported, Namaaz was not held at the gurdwara that day, as the Muslim community had already decided.

Crucial meeting held on Sunday November 21 at Gurugram

Meanwhile, on Sunday November 21, a delegation of Sikh leaders, some from Punjab, came to the Gurudwara at Gurugram, to take stock of the situation, as the news had made international headlines. According to Daya Singh, a long time member of the Gurudwara, and a member Gurugram Nagrik Ekta Manch, there was even some distorted/ fake news that the namaaz was to be offered in the sanctum sanctorum of the Gurudwara.

“I told them that this was not the case, I have been a secretary of the Singh Sabha and I am a member here,” he told SabrangIndia. He recalled that in the 70s- to the 80s, the Sikhs were being targeted and it is the same approach being used to target Muslims today. “The first experiment of the RSS was on the Sikhs, even though the government was that of the Congress then. The RSS was not visible in the front, but they were changing their mindsets. We [Sikhs] were being alienated then, now Muslims are being alienated.”

He said the words used to alienate were also similar, “terrorists, traitors,” and that attempts are being made to repeat this history of hate against Muslims. Gurugram Nagrik Ekta Manch, he said, rose in 2018 when the Muslims were again not allowed to offer namaz. “I had intervened then and said even then that namaaz being offered is not a crime. They are slokas of [Sufi saint] Baba Farid in the Guru Granth Sahib,” said Singh. According to Singh, the unity and brotherhood between Sikhs and Muslims, as has publicly been displayed in the farmers’ protest over the past 12 months, has shaken the right wing forces. As did the unity between the Jaat and Muslim communities. The three said their prayers together at the protest site, as well as organised and shared multiple langars or community kitchens. It is this coming together of communities together will spoil any communal hate agenda on the right wing planner.

Fuelling hate in Gurugram is a right wing backed step in disturbing this peace between the two communities

Daya Singh, as the spokesperson of the Gurugram Sri Guru Singh Sabha also wrote on his Facebook page, “When Sikhs were butchered during 1984, Muslims all over the country stood by Sikhs, then why not Sikhs must come out with open hands if Muslims are in trouble.” The Sikh code of conduct or Sikh Rehit Maryada is a code of conduct that is clear on the rules of conventions for Sikhism, he says. On Friday, members of the Gurgaon Nagrik Ekta Manch, Mohd Adeeb and Altaf Ahmad, were also part of the delegation that came to the Gurudwara on Gurpurab. The Muslim delegates were honoured with saropas [ceremonial scarves] and they too reaffirmed their cordial relationship with the Sikh community.

On Sunday, too there were some representatives of the Muslim community at the meeting, said sources. The meeting has now decided that if the Muslim community send a proposal seeing a space to offer namaz the Gurudwara Committee will discuss it. There is a basement, and a schoolyard next door. Namaz is not permitted in the gurudwara’s sanctum sanctorum ever. Daya Singh recalled how a delegation of Muslims from Malerkotla had gone to the Golden Temple to meet the Akal Takth’s officiating head, Giani Harpreet Singh [to seek his support during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests ] and were invited to offer namaz at the courtyard between the Akal Takht. The images of the congregational prayers had gone viral.

It is this unity that the right wing groups are trying to break, reiterated Singh, “I told them we [Sikhs] have a rapport with Muslims. Guru Nanak was accompanied by Bhai Mardana a Muslim, who would have offered namaaz too.” He added that the right-wing was also distorting history to suit their purpose. For next Friday, if the Muslim community apparoaches the gurudwara the issue will be discussed. “For now the Muslim community has said we will come only if in dire need. However they are happy that we [Siks] are with them and that they have not been alienated,” Singh told SabrangIndia, adding “when a community stands together it is a different matter. Many people have appreciated this unity.”

Hate speech continues to fuel animosity

However, there are some like Ravi Ranjan Singh who has been saying on video that the “Gurugram Gurdwara, [was] besieged by Taliban/neo-Talbistani” as he is describing Muslims. He also alleged that Gurugram’s muslims were “blocking roads” to offer namaz. According to Daya Singh however, the Rashtriya sikh Sangat group of Ravi Ranjan Singh is an affiliate body of the RSS. According to Daya Singh any complaints must be filed with the gurdwara management committee. Ravi Singh has in all effect threatened and accused the gurdwara committee of disrespecting the Sikh code of conduct. Ravi Ranjan Singh continues to raise the bogey of “love jihad” in this communal video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fmrBXhamjk . On other social media pages, he has called for the Sikh community to stand “against such immoral acts”.

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Deported from Australia for Hate Crimes, Vishal Jood, gets hero’s welcome

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 11:47:45 +0000

Image Courtesy:timesofindia.indiatimes.com

25-year-old Vishal Jood, who hails from Haryana, had gone to Australia, purportedly to get an education. But he ended up committing a spate of hate crimes, attacking members of the Sikh community. For this he was convicted and jailed.

“Attempts to undermine Australia’s social cohesion will not be tolerated,” tweeted Alex Hawke, Australia’s Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, adding, “I thank community leaders who have worked to build cross-community unity and resilience against attempts by a small minority to incite discord and disharmony, demonstrating the importance and benefit of our nation’s strong social cohesion.”

Attempts to undermine Australia’s social cohesion will not be tolerated. https://t.co/uQKM3bMGeX

— Alex Hawke MP (@AlexHawkeMP) October 16, 2021

Hawke further said, “The man was an unlawful non-citizen at the time of his arrest. The Morrison Government takes very seriously its responsibility to protect Australians from non-citizens who engage in criminal conduct. We will always act decisively to protect our community.”

Recently, after completion of his sentence, Jood was deported back to India. One would think this would be seen as deeply shameful and regrettable, but Jood received a hero’s welcome! Sood was greeted with “Welcome Back Hero” hashtags and was honoured with a car procession as if he had returned home with an international award. The right-wing cheered him on social media.

Welcome Back Hero#VishalJood
pic.twitter.com/eH96g5NIy2

— Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) October 17, 2021

#Australia की अदालत ने इस अराजक #VishalJood को सिखों पर हमले का ना सिर्फ़ दोषी माना बल्कि कई महीने जेल में रखा
और जेल से बाहर निकलते ही ऑस्ट्रेलिया से deport करके भारत भेज दिया।

भारत में इस अराजकता का ऐसे स्वागत हुआ ।ये देश तबाही के रास्ते पर है। pic.twitter.com/kbUUHvdUeq

— Vinod Kapri (@vinodkapri) October 18, 2021

According to a report in IndianLink, an Australian portal for the diaspora, Australia’s Migration Act says, “Non-citizens who have committed serious crimes can be deported at the end of their jail sentence” adding that “Vishal Jood was arrested by NSW police in April after an investigation revealed his alleged connection to a series of targeted attacks on members of the Sikh community. A number of charges were levelled against him but in a plea bargain, NSW’s Department of Public Prosecutors dropped eight charges that included racial hate crime, while Jood pleaded guilty to three charges for which he was sentenced to six months in jail.” The Australian portal added that “it is believed that there was lobbying undertaken at very senior levels in the Indian government to secure the release of Vishal Jood due to political pressure from the ruling BJP in the state from which he hails.”

Jood hails from Haryana, and the state’s Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had in June asked the Australian authorities to release him, reported NDTV. Jood, had been convicted for assaulting Sikhs in September last year and February this year. Khattar had reportedly asked External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, to intervene and secure Jood’s release from a prison in Australia.

However it is bizzare to see the caravan of SUVs taking Jood out in a victory procession. Or maybe this is what the Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar meant in the video on social media where he was encouraging his volunteers “to pick up lathis and attack farmers” adding “If they go to jail, on their return they would be big leaders”.

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Srinagar: Grief envelopes Valley as Supinder (Satinder) Kour’s last rites are performed

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 11:57:48 +0000

Image Courtesy:greaterkashmir.com

Principal Supinder (Satinder) Kour’s final rites were carried out by grieving family, friends, and community members on Friday. She was among the civilians gunned down by terrorists, and the only woman, and Sikh to be targeted. The school principal was shot dead in cold blood on October 7, along with another teacher Deepak Chand, a Kashmiri Pandit.

The Valley’s Sikh community had assembled at Kour’s residence in Aloochi Bagh area, carrying her mortal remains out in a march that also marked their protest at the targeting of innocents. According to news reports, the march grew as it covered a large distance – Aloochi Bagh to Jehangir Chowk – raising slogans demanding justice for the victims. The protesters also held a silent sit-in at the Civil Secretariat, the seat of the Jammu and Kashmir government. Later, Kour’s mortal remains were taken to the cremation grounds for the final rites.

“My father Makhan Lal Bindroo a Kashmiri Pandit will never die. You can just kill the body and he will be alive in the spirit,” says Dr Shraddha Bindroo. #srinagar #Kashmir pic.twitter.com/Ai938ty2wP

— Parvaiz Ahmad Qadri (@Parvaiz_Qadri) October 6, 2021

Adding to the tragedy were images of the last rites of Virendar Paswan, who hailed from Bhagalpur in Bihar, who had just come to the Union Territory to earn a living and worked as street food vendor in Srinagar. According to reports, his funeral was held at Srinagar because his family couldn’t afford taking the body back home. Killed by terrorists because he was an “outsider”, Paswan’s mortal remains ironically became one with the elements in Srinagar itself.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also held a protest in Srinagar in the wake of terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir and demanded that Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha resign from his post. The PDP Spokesperson Syed Suhail Bukhari said, “We strongly condemn and demand that Governor Manoj Sinha should give resignation as he totally failed to handle the situation. We ask the Government of India why it happened if militancy is over and the situation is normal. Since the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, the home ministry is monitoring the situation then why these incidents happened. So, it is clear the Government of India, security agencies totally failed to control the situation.”

The terror attacks on members of the minority Kashmiri Pandit and Sikh communities are being viewed as an intention to divide people on the lines of religion yet again. The PDP appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to be “united to defeat vested interests of people, who are trying to disturb peace and damage communal harmony.” The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Forum also staged a protest in Jammu against Pakistan over the killings.

According to a report in the Greater Kashmir, Jagmohan Singh Raina, the chairman of All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) said the Sikh community was cautious not to allow “any vested interests to vitiate the cordial relation of communal brotherhood,” adding that “the Sikh minority for the last 30 years has ensured that there is communal harmony and brotherhood in Kashmir. We have never allowed the peaceful communal harmony be disturbed and won’t let it happen. There is a need for firm brotherhood even today”. Raina too asked that the LG-led administration ensure that the situation is not allowed to “go out of control”, stated the news report.

Kashmiri Pandit leader Sanjay Tickoo told Sabrangindia that repeated pleas with LG Manoj Sinha to enhance security for Pandit families had gone unanswered. “Where is the security for KP families in the Valley?” he had asked as the nightmare of 1990 appears to be repeating itself. Now, SabrangIndia’s sister organisation Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) has joined the Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti to petition the LG to provide adequate security to minorities. The petition may be signed here.

Meanwhile, a section of the right wing is busy fuelling communal fire with hate filled posts such as this:

This video must be shared widely amongst NRI Sikh community so that they know who is their real enemy instead of collaborating with Jehadis. https://t.co/Q63pDNiQbX

— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) October 8, 2021

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Hatemonger and Shiv Sena Taksali leader Sudhir Suri allegedly enjoys the protection of 15 cops

Sat, 11 Jul 2020 14:28:56 +0000

Image Courtesy:indianexpress.com

Even after being accused in six cases, most on charges of making casteist remarks and hurting religious sentiments, serial offender Sudhir Kumar Suri, a self-styled leader of the right-wing Shiv Sena (Taksali) enjoys a security cover that even lawmakers in Punjab can’t avail of, reported The Indian Express.

The serial hatemonger and Hindutva propagator allegedly enjoys the protection of 15 cops of the Punjab Police. Suri’s spokesperson Ranjit Singh told IE, “He has been given eight gunmen, five constables and two drivers. He has been given only one police pilot Gypsy. The security cover, however, is not enough. We have filed a writ in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking central government security cover for Suri.”

History of hate speech

One of the first cases against Suri, reportedly for hurting religious sentiments, was registered in 2014. In 2017, the Amritsar police took suo moto action against Suri after he allegedly used derogatory and provocative language against the Sikh community. He was booked under Sections 294 (using obscene language and act), 153-A (promoting enmity between two communities) of the IPC and 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, The Tribune India reported.

In 2018, the Civil Lines police had booked Suri for allegedly making casteist remarks and using abusive words against the Dalit community through a WhatsApp audio message, Hindustan Times had reported. With regards to this, a complaint against him was filed under Section 3 of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and 67 of Information Technology Act.

Recently, on the basis of an anonymous complaint, he was also arrested in April 2020 for allegedly making communal remarks against the Tablighi Jamaat members on social media, IE said. In April he was booked under Sections 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race…), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs, 505 (2) (Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) and 115 (Abetment of offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life) of the Indian Penal Code.

However, the case was termed as fabricated by his spokesperson who said that the social media account used was not Suri’s and that he was being targeted by police officers.

This week, on July 8, 2020, the police registered another FIR against Suri under Section 153 A of the IPC, reported IE, for a video where he was allegedly seen using objectionable language for women of the Sikh community.

However, Suri posted a video on his Facebook account saying that he was not the person in the video and that his lips and voice had been morphed into it.

It was also said that the chairman of the DSS, Loveleen Luv Mattu, was yet to be provided security cover in spite of repeated requests. He told IE that the alleged reason he hadn’t received security was because of the caste system being in play, alleging that Suri was provided security as he belonged to the general caste while Baba Meghnath, the religious leader of the DSS was only provided a temporary constable for security. Mattu told IE, “At least four cases are registered against Suri under section 295 (a) for hurting religious sentiments and one under the SC/ST Act. Last year, he was also booked for using defamatory words against Bhagwan Valmiki.”

Our take: It is questionable why somebody like Suri has received police protection in the first place. It is also noteworthy that after Suri’s alleged objectionable remarks on women of the Sikh community, a number of Sikhs took to the streets demanding his arrest. They questioned his commitment and contribution to Hinduism and asked why taxpayer money was being spent on his security. But they were made to run from one location to the other and yet their complaint wasn’t registered. The police allegedly said that they would inquire and then register the case. The same police didn’t hesitate once before brutally beating up commoners or arresting dissenters. Is the preferential treatment for Suri and for those of his ilk due to the political patronage they enjoy?

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Pulwama Aftermath: The Love for Sikh Community

Mon, 25 Mar 2019 06:45:38 +0000

On 14^th February 2019, vehicles of security forces which were on its way to reach Srinagar came under a heavy attach when a vehicle-borne bomber attacked the vehicles at Lethpora Pulwama. As a result of the attack, 49 CRPF personal died along with the person who carried the attack. As soon as the attack took place, the Kashmiri students studying in different states of India starts receiving life threats.Several Kashmiri students who were studying particularly in northern states of India were asked to leave the state as soon as possible. Not only students but migrants, traders and professionals were also forced to leave the state on priority basis. In Dehradun, the Kashmiri students studying were forced to leave the state and were asked to fly back to J&K. The college administration in Dehradun also told that they will not admit any Kashmiri student in the near future. In another instance, a senior faculty member was dismissed from his post because of his Kashmiri identity.

The situation was getting worse and there was not even a single sign of relief for Kashmiri Students. On 15^th February, a video became viral on Social Media where some persons in Bihar were seen thrashing the Kashmiri based shopkeepers. They were seen asking them to leave the state as soon as possible or face dire consequences. In Maharashtra, Students were seen being slapped. They were forced to sing ‘Vande Mataram’ and shout ‘Hindustan Zindabad’. In Haryana, over 100 Kashmiri students including girls who were residing in PG accommodations were asked to leave the accommodation. They were forced to seek refuge with the authorities of a private deemed university where they were studying. Not only this, three Kashmiri shawl vendors who were only their way to Haryana were beaten.In the Uttarakhand capital, Kashmiri students were asked to vacate their accommodations by the owners as they were fearing of attacks on their properties by the local people. A Kashmir based former Assistant Professor from LPU Salman Shaheen was forced to take refuge in the washroom to save himself from a mob.

Leaving this aside, the Sikh community in Punjab rescued many Kashmiri students. Khalsa Aid, an international humanitarian NGO take the lead in rescuing Kashmiri Students. The NGO rescued many students who had locked themselves in their rooms for fear of being targeted by the locals in Dehradun. The Punjab-based NGO helped the fear-stricken students studying in Dehradun to head back to their native places under full security cover.The NGO apart from providing transportation also arranged for their accommodation and food. The NGO came in touch with Jammu and Kashmir Students’ Organisation (JKSO) and provided transportation to at least 250 students.Local gurudwaras in Punjab were thrown open for Kashmiri students. Not only this, butthe local Sikh community also provided shelter to Kashmiri Students.An image from Punjab went viral on Social Media where three persons from Sikh Community were guarding the building during night hours. Amar Preet belonging to Sikh community was constantly tweeting about the steps taken by them in safeguard Kashmiri students.

The help provided by the Sikh community was appreciated by each and everyone in Kashmir. The Social Media websites like Facebook and Twitter were flooded with appreciation posts from local people in Kashmir. On the evening of February 20^th, social media websites were flooded with offers of free snow-bike rides, free hotel stays for Sikh tourists, free medical check-ups, discounts on medicine for patients belonging to Sikh community. The people of Kashmir also appreciated the Sikh community by providing free admission in educational institutes and English-speaking courses for the kids of Sikh Community. It was also seen that people of Kashmir were offering free blood donation and even kidneys to the people of the Sikh community.

The local Kashmiri press also took the lead by expressing its gratitude to the Sikh Community. Kashmir’s based leading English daily, Greater Kashmirmade a cartoon of a turban-wearing man in a boat holding out a hand to a drowning Kashmiri man.Similarly, Mudasir Ahmad from Anantnag district of the state who works as a mechanic decided to waive labor charges for washing or repairing vehicles owned by Sikh customers. Shaheen Ahmad Lone, who owns a private school in north Kashmir’s Kanispora area where around 500 Sikh families live offered free admission and free education to Sikh students from nursery to Class 10.

Meanwhile, The Sikh community responded to the generosity of the Kashmiri and once again won the hearts of the people and restored the faith in humanity. In a Viral Video on Social Media, the Sikh community thanked the people of the valley for showing the love for them.

Ishfaq Majid, Research Scholar, School of Education, Central University of Gujarat

Courtesy: Counter Current

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