Harassment of Kashmiris Outside the Valley Is Now Being Framed as a National Security Issue
By: Javid Amin | 28 December 2025
From Isolated Incidents to a Pattern of Concern
For years, attacks and harassment faced by Kashmiri students, traders, and migrant workers in different Indian states were often dismissed as isolated law-and-order issues. Today, Kashmiri leaders across party lines are increasingly framing these incidents as something far more serious: a threat to national integration and internal security.
The shift in language is deliberate. What was once described as social discrimination is now being linked to alienation, mistrust, and long-term instability, particularly in a region as politically sensitive as Jammu and Kashmir.
Sajad Lone: “This Is a National Security Issue”
People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone has been the most explicit in elevating the issue to the national security domain.
Following reports of a Kashmiri trader being assaulted in Uttarakhand, Lone warned that repeated harassment of Kashmiris outside the Valley could have dangerous consequences if left unaddressed.
“Alienating Kashmiris outside their home state is not a minor issue. It has national security implications,” Lone said, urging intervention from the Lieutenant Governor, the Prime Minister, and the Union Home Minister.
His argument is straightforward:
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When Kashmiris feel unsafe elsewhere in India
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When they are targeted for their identity
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When accountability is missing
The damage is not local — it affects India’s broader integration project in Kashmir.
Omar Abdullah: Attacks Undermine National Integration
Former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has repeatedly condemned assaults on Kashmiri students and traders, especially in northern and central Indian states.
His focus has been on students and small traders, two groups that represent aspiration and economic mobility.
According to Abdullah:
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Attacks send a message that Kashmiris are second-class citizens
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Students studying outside the Valley feel vulnerable and unwanted
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Traders fear venturing outside J&K for business
He has warned that such incidents are dangerous for national integration, because they erode the idea that Kashmiris belong safely and equally across India.
Mehbooba Mufti: Alienation Has Long-Term Consequences
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has consistently framed harassment as a factor that deepens alienation in Kashmir.
She argues that:
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Physical assaults are not just criminal acts
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They symbolise shrinking democratic space
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They reinforce perceptions of exclusion
“When Kashmiris are attacked outside their state, it destroys whatever trust remains in institutions,” she has said on multiple occasions.
From her perspective, every such incident adds to a cumulative sense that Kashmiris are tolerated but not accepted — a sentiment that can have lasting political consequences.
Ruhullah Mehdi: Linking Harassment to Silencing of Voices
National Conference leader Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi places these incidents within a broader framework of political and social suppression.
He has linked:
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Harassment outside Kashmir
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Restrictions within Kashmir
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And the shrinking space for dissent
According to Ruhullah, targeting ordinary Kashmiris — students, traders, workers — creates a climate where identity itself becomes suspect, fostering resentment that can destabilise society over time.
Tanvir Sadiq: Accountability Is Missing
NC spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq has focused on the absence of accountability.
He argues that:
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Perpetrators are rarely punished decisively
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Police responses are often slow or reactive
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Assurances are given only after outrage erupts
Without strong accountability mechanisms, he warns, harassment becomes normalised, making Kashmiris feel unprotected by the state.
Civil Society Voices: Livelihoods and Education at Risk
Beyond political leaders, civil society groups have raised alarms:
Traders’ Associations
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Shawl sellers, dry fruit traders, and small merchants fear travelling
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Many rely on seasonal migration to other states
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Repeated incidents threaten already fragile livelihoods
Student Unions
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Kashmiri students report fear, profiling, and isolation
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Parents hesitate to send children outside J&K
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Educational mobility is being quietly curtailed
These groups stress that harassment does not just hurt individuals — it disrupts economic and educational pathways.
Why Leaders Say This Is a National Security Issue
The framing of harassment as a national security concern is not rhetorical exaggeration. Leaders point to clear risks:
1. Alienation
Repeated targeting reinforces feelings of exclusion, especially among youth.
2. Integration Setback
Every assault undermines claims that Kashmir is fully integrated socially, not just administratively.
3. Trust Deficit
When citizens feel unsafe, trust in institutions weakens.
4. Economic Impact
Traders withdrawing from national markets hurts livelihoods and interdependence.
5. Long-Term Instability
Persistent alienation can have consequences far beyond law and order.
Administration’s Response: Largely Reactive
Authorities typically respond with:
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Condemnations after incidents
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Assurances of protection
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Occasional arrests
However, critics argue this approach is reactive, not preventive.
What leaders are demanding instead:
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Clear protocols for protecting Kashmiri students and traders
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Fast-track accountability
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Visible reassurance from the highest levels of government
Public Sentiment in Kashmir: A Growing Sense of Vulnerability
In Kashmir, these incidents are closely followed and widely discussed.
Among the public:
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Harassment is seen as proof of shrinking acceptance
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Fear of travel outside the Valley is growing
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Many feel dignity is under threat
This sentiment, leaders warn, cannot be ignored without cost.
What Message These Voices Are Sending
To Policymakers
Ignoring harassment risks long-term instability and undermines national unity.
To the Public
Kashmiris are not outsiders — they are citizens entitled to safety everywhere.
To Security Establishments
Alienation is a security risk, not just a political talking point.
To Kashmiris
Their leaders are demanding accountability, not silence.
Conclusion: Harassment Is No Longer a Peripheral Issue
The growing chorus from Kashmiri leaders reflects a significant shift: harassment of Kashmiris outside the Valley is no longer seen as episodic or marginal. It is being recognised as systemic, corrosive, and nationally consequential.
As Sajad Lone and others argue, security is not only about borders and weapons — it is also about trust, dignity, and belonging.
How the Indian state responds to this concern may shape not only Kashmir’s relationship with the rest of the country, but the credibility of national integration itself.
