A day after a video showing the harassment of two Kashmiri shawl sellers in Surjanpur village of Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district went viral, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Tuesday said that the woman involved has formally apologized and admitted her mistake.
In a statement, the National Convenor of the Association, Nasir Khuehami, said that the Himachal Pradesh government has taken serious note of the communal harassment faced by the two Kashmiri shawl sellers. The woman responsible has been detained and is being questioned by the authorities.
Khuehami further stated that the woman expressed regret for her actions and issued a formal apology. Although the police were prepared to file an FIR against her, the victims—the Kashmiri shawl sellers—made a commendable gesture of forgiveness by choosing to pardon her and requesting the police not to proceed with lodging the FIR.
“In her apology, she admitted, ‘I have committed a mistake, and I sincerely apologize for harassing them and making religious slurs,’” Khuehami said.
He added that the JKSA promptly raised the issue with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister’s Principal Media Advisor, Naresh Chauhan on Monday, Following their intervention, the state government acted swiftly, detaining the woman and initiating questioning regarding her communal behavior.
Khuehami lauded the victims for their maturity and magnanimity in forgiving the offender, emphasizing that such incidents should serve as lessons for fostering unity and mutual respect among communities. He also called on the authorities to continue their efforts to ensure communal harmony is maintained and that no individual is subjected to such behavior in the future.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association expressed its gratitude to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and his Principal Media Advisor, Naresh Chauhan, for their prompt and decisive action in addressing the issue.
The National Spokesperson of the Association, Aadil Bhat, acknowledged their immediate response to the complaint, which ensured that justice was initiated swiftly and the incident was handled with the seriousness it deserved. The Association noted that such timely interventions help uphold communal harmony and reassure marginalized communities of their safety and dignity.
Bhat also emphasized the need for a broader conversation on tackling communal prejudice and urged authorities across states to adopt stringent measures against hate-based incidents.
