Srinagar, Dec 25: Awami Itihaad Party Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi on Thursday said that Baramulla Member of Parliament Engineer Rashid has written two detailed and strongly worded letters to the Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, seeking immediate and exemplary action against those involved in the assaults and humiliation of Kashmiri shawl sellers in their respective states.
Inam Un Nabi said the letters have reached the party through the legal counsel of the jailed MP. He said Er Rashid has expressed deep anguish over television visuals showing Kashmiri shawl sellers being assaulted and humiliated by fringe elements, terming the incidents deeply disturbing and unacceptable in a democratic country.
Referring to the letter addressed to the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Inam Un Nabi said Er Rashid reminded the state of its long standing reputation for tolerance and secular values, and warned that such incidents severely tarnish that image. Er Rashid questioned whether similar acts against non Kashmiris in Jammu and Kashmir would have been met with silence, stating that in Kashmir, perpetrators would have been booked under stringent laws and branded extremists. He cautioned that repeated inaction raises serious questions about claims of inclusiveness and hurts the self respect of the victims as well as the people of Jammu and Kashmir as a whole.
Speaking about the letter sent to the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Inam Un Nabi said Er Rashid described the assault on a Kashmiri shawl seller from his parliamentary constituency as painful and deeply distressing. In the letter, Er Rashid asked whether being Kashmiri has effectively become a crime in the country. He reminded the Uttarakhand government that Kashmiris have historically treated tourists and outsiders with dignity and honour, and questioned why similar values were not being upheld elsewhere.
In both letters, Er Rashid demanded strict and exemplary action against the culprits to ensure that no one takes the law into their own hands in the name of ultra nationalism. He also urged the state governments to ensure the safety, dignity and livelihood of Kashmiri traders working outside Jammu and Kashmir.
Copies of the letters have also been marked to the Union Home Secretary, seeking immediate intervention to safeguard Kashmiris studying or earning their livelihood in different parts of the country. [KNT]
