Kashmiri shawl vendors slapped in Mussoorie, forced to shut shop

Dehradun: A video went viral on the social media here on Tuesday in which two Kashmiri shawl vendors in Mussoorie can be seen being slapped by a group of local men and forced to shut their shop.

In the video, they were seen being abused and slapped repeatedly by a group of three persons led by a bearded man and were asked to wind up and pack off. They were slapped a few times more after one of them produced an Aadhar card establishing his identity as an inhabitant of Jammu and Kashmir.

The three men who slapped the shawl vendors have been arrested, DGP Deepam Seth said.

Jammu and Kashmir Students Association national convenor Nasir Khuehami said, "We received deeply disturbing and chilling reports from Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, where two Kashmiri shawl sellers were brutally assaulted by members of the Bajrang Dal.

"Also, around 16 other Kashmiri traders, mostly from the Kupwara district, have been threatened, harassed, and forcibly evicted from their rented accommodations," he said.

Many of them have been doing business and selling shawls in Mussoorie for years, contributing to the local economy and living peacefully within the community, he said.

The three men apologised for their actions and promised they would not repeat such conduct in the future, Khuehami said, adding that legal proceedings are being initiated against them under the Police Act.

The accused identified as Suraj Singh, a resident of Post Kempty, Tehri Garhwal; Pradeep Singh, a resident of Hathipaon, Mussoorie; and Abhishek Uniyal, a resident of Company Garden, Mussoorie.

Around 16 Kashmiri shawl vendors from Mussoorie have now returned to the Kashmir valley, Khuehami said.