Kashmiri journalist faces life threat in New Delhi

Noted Kashmiri journalist Bilal Bhat has been threatened by the house owner and a gangster to leave Delhi or face the consequences. Bilal Bhat has narrated his ordeal in an email. The text of his email is as:

Jamia Nagar Okhla , New Delhi

110025

28 October, 2015

Subject: I am getting life threats and conspiracies are hatched against me because I am a Kashmiri.

I am a Delhi based Kashmiri journalist and I want to bring to your notice how we are suffering in different Indian states. It’s no surprise to mention that we are tagged as “anti-nationals” and “Pakistanis” outside Kashmir. We are even denied rooms on pretext of being a Kashmiri.

In March, this year, I met the same fate when my flat owner threatened me to leave his flat in Batla House, Delhi, after learning that I am a Kashmiri. I had even paid him one month rent in advance which he had accepted but next day after learning that I am a Kashmiri, his attitude changed. His conduct was hostile. I heard him lambasting my friend who had arranged the room, “Is Kashmiri ko yaha nahi rakhana hai, Ye Kashmiri yaha nahi rahayga.” He told me to immediately vacate the room.

I requested him politely to give me some time to arrange a room at an alternate location; but instead of listening to me, he brought some of his neighbours and relatives to forcibly evacuate me. This led to a verbal duel between us. They looked irate, constantly yelling at me, without paying any heed to me. Luckily that night, I had invited some of my friends for dinner. My Kashmiri friend Owais Manzoor, who is pursuing PHD in Jamia Millia and another non Kashmiri Muslim, saved me from being thrashed. Afterwards, I tried to call special help line number of JK police to lodge my compliant but the response was cold. I left the notion of reporting this. It also came to my mind that I should report this to Delhi police but due to apprehensions of treatment we receive from Indian police, gave up this daring thought.

I am not the lone case who has faced such ghastly situations. Many Kashmiri students who are living in Okhla, New Delhi told me about their ordeal. Although, such cases have been reported in media, there has been no response from the authorities to counter this prejudice or misconceptions.

These “preconceptions” were manageable till this discrimination was restricted to ‘denial of rooms’. We are constantly muddling through such odd situations. Although, there are some good people in Delhi too, who respect and love us and give us hope to overcome such circumstances. Now, the situation is turning alarming and grave as I am facing life threats from an anti-Kashmiri and racist famously known as Mamu. I was introduced to him through a friend. At the very first instance, instead of greeting me, he racially spoke venom against Kashmiris. “Ye Kaashmiri log badmash aur badzaat hain,” he said that loudly in front of other people. I could sense the deep prejudice he has against Kashmiris. Things didn’t stop here though. He would use abusive language against Kashmiris and start anti-Kashmiri racist speeches whenever he saw me, but I never took that seriously because I have been used to such anti-Kashmiri chauvinistic remarks. Some bigots even told me what are you people doing in Delhi, you should have been in Pakistan. Based on a specific racist dogma asserting the superiority over a Kashmiri these years, I even had been through such remarks which can have serious repercussions in future. One day I had to face embarrassment during a discussion when one of the Muslim boy stood up and said, ”Jamia Hamdarad, Jamia Milli and Aligarh Muslim universities are full of Kashmiri students. You become due share of our Institutions when you have a number of universities in Kashmir.

Kashmiris secure admissions on the garb of sympathy and reservations.” Surprisingly, his views were endorsed by the people present in the group. Keeping in view the increasing number of Kashmiris migrating to different parts of India for job and educational purposes, such views can prove disastrous in future. Moreover, national media also plays a key role in stereotyping Kashmiri people.

Unaware of what’s cooking in Mamu’s mind, for me things didn’t stop here. Mamu told my friends to stop meeting me – “is Kaashmiri say mat mila karoo, ya badmash aur dhokhey baaz hotay hain.” Being an influential person in Okhla, he is misusing his influence. One of my friends informed me of his spying on me and telling his people to keep an eye on me to track my movements. Another friend told me that he is spreading venom against me by demonising me. On October 24 at around 7.30 pm he rang me and told me to meet him at Batla House – “ajawoo batala house, hum sab tumhara wait kar rahay hai,” he said. He inquired about my whereabouts; I told him that I am with my friend Muslim Mansoori. Mamu also knows Muslim.

Knowing that Mamu is very wily and sensing something fishy, I decided not to go. Later on, he rang me again at around 9 pm. I told him I am at Jamia Masjid and I am offering Salah and he can meet me at the mosque. He was repeatedly insisting me to come to Batla House. I was so terrified about his ill-intentions that I hung up the phone. Next day, Muslim informed me that he received a call from Mamu inquiring about me. He added that Mamu had met him few days before and discussed my daily routine. Since that day, I am living in fear. To get his hands on me, he is brainwashing some of the gangsters in this locality who enjoy his political and legal immunity. This person is politically influential and is also in good books of high-ranking police officers. When entire India seems prejudiced against Kashmiris, we still have hopes in those who stand with us shoulder to shoulder and give us this notion that we belong to them. I am not reporting this matter to Jamia Nagar police station as he has good relations with them. Please take serious action against him before the situation turns ugly and disastrous.

Yours sincerely

Bilal Bhat
Email: bilalcool07@gmail.com

Copy to Chief Minister, Delhi cmdelhi@nic.in
Copy to Chief Minister, Jammu and Kashmir Grievance Cell [Complain No is 57314]
Copy to Home Ministry, India jscpg-mha@nic.in
Copy to Media
Copy to PM, India

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