Kashmiri shawl seller forced to chant nationalist slogan in India
Rights group flags pattern of harassment against migrant traders after vendor allegedly threatened with eviction for refusing chant
SRINAGAR, Kashmir (MNTV) — A Kashmiri shawl seller was allegedly harassed and threatened with eviction in northern India’s Himachal Pradesh after he refused to chant a nationalist slogan, an incident that has renewed concerns over the safety of migrant traders from Jammu and Kashmir working outside the region.
According to accounts shared by the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, the incident took place in the Dera area of Kangra district, where the vendor—originally from Kupwara in north Kashmir—was confronted and pressured to chant “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” (Hail Mother India). When he declined, citing his constitutional right to express patriotism in his own way, he was allegedly warned that he would not be allowed to continue his business.
Reacting to the incident, JKSA national convener Nasir Khuehami described the episode as coercive and humiliating, arguing that it violated constitutional guarantees of free expression. He said the case was not isolated, claiming it was the 15th reported instance this year involving harassment of Kashmiri shawl sellers across different Indian states.
“Forcing any citizen to chant slogans to prove patriotism has no constitutional basis,” Khuehami said in a statement, adding that such actions foster fear rather than national unity. He warned that repeated confrontations were creating a climate of insecurity for Kashmiri traders who rely on seasonal and itinerant work outside Jammu and Kashmir.
The association has urged Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to intervene and direct local authorities to register a case against those involved under relevant legal provisions. It also called on the state government to issue clear instructions to district administrations to prevent identity-based profiling and harassment of migrant traders.
Kashmiri shawl sellers have travelled across northern and central India for decades, particularly during winter months, selling handicrafts that support thousands of families back home. Civil rights advocates note that such traders often operate without local protection networks, making them vulnerable to intimidation tied to political or communal assertions.
The incident adds to broader concerns about the treatment of internal migrants in India, especially those from Kashmir, as debates over nationalism and identity increasingly spill into everyday economic life.
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