Shimla/Kangra:
A Kashmiri shawl seller from Kupwara district was allegedly harassed in Himachal Pradesh after he refused to chant the slogan “Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” asserting that while he loves India, the Constitution guarantees him the right to express his patriotism in his own way.
According to reports, the incident involved pressure and intimidation by local elements, prompting widespread condemnation from civil rights groups and Kashmiri associations. The victim maintained that patriotism cannot be imposed through coercion and that constitutional freedoms allow every citizen to express national pride according to personal belief and conscience.
National Convenor of the Association, Nasir Khuehami, said this was the fifteenth such incident this year involving harassment of Kashmiri shawl sellers in different parts of the country. He described the repeated incidents as a “disturbing and dangerous pattern” targeting peaceful traders who travel outside Jammu and Kashmir to earn their livelihood.
“Forcing anyone to chant slogans to prove patriotism is unconstitutional and deeply degrading,” Khuehami said. “The Constitution of India does not compel any citizen to chant any slogan. Patriotism cannot be enforced through fear or intimidation; it must arise from freedom, dignity, and equal rights.”
Khuehami urged Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to intervene immediately and direct the police to register an FIR against the right-wing elements allegedly involved, under relevant sections of law. “Such behaviour must not go unchecked. Strict action will send a clear message that communal bigotry and vigilantism will not be tolerated in a progressive and inclusive society,” he asserted.
The incident has once again raised concerns over the safety and dignity of Kashmiri traders operating outside the Union Territory, with calls growing for stronger legal safeguards and swift police action to prevent such occurrences.
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