LUCKNOW — A video showing Kashmiri dry fruit traders being harassed in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow has triggered anger and concern, raising fresh questions about the safety of Muslims, particularly Kashmiris, in mainland India. The incident occurred on Old Jail Road under the Alambagh police station limits, where traders from Kashmir have been running roadside stalls for several years.
The viral clip shows a group of men stopping Kashmiri traders, abusing them, and attempting to force them to chant “Jai Shri Ram.” The traders are also heard being called Pakistanis and warned not to set up their stalls unless they complied with the group’s demands. While the video is said to be around ten days old, it has drawn widespread attention after circulating extensively on social media.
The main victim, Waheed Ahmad Malik, a resident of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district, described the ordeal he and his companions faced.
“I came to work in the morning like I do every day,” Malik said. “Some men arrived and told us we could not sell here unless we chanted their slogans.”
Malik said he tried to reason with them. “I told them, ‘We are Indians—why are you treating us like this?’ After that, they started calling me a Pakistani and abusing me,” he said.
According to Malik, the threats continued. “They warned me that if they saw me here again, they would not spare me,” he said, adding that such harassment was not new.
“Many times they take our dry fruits without paying and threaten us if we protest,” he added.
He also spoke about alleged police bias and earlier attempts to seek help. “When I complained before, the police told me that I was being careless myself,” Malik alleged. “We are poor people. We only want to earn our living through hard work.”
Other Kashmiri traders said they have been selling dry fruits at the same location on Old Jail Road for years without trouble. “We come here season after season,” one trader said. “We do not harm anyone. We just sell our goods.”
The video shows the men filming the traders while hurling abuse and ordering them to leave. The traders appear visibly frightened and try to avoid further confrontation.
A police officer from the Alambagh area said the authorities were aware of the video. “The clip is being examined,” the officer said. “If a formal complaint is submitted, action will be taken after verifying the facts.”
Rights groups and local residents said such incidents deepen fear among Muslims, even in large cities like Lucknow. “Calling Indian citizens Pakistanis and forcing them to chant slogans is unacceptable,” a local resident said. “People should be allowed to work without fear.”
The incident has once again drawn attention to the harassment faced by Muslim traders in Uttar Pradesh, with many asking when such intimidation will end and when minorities will feel safe while earning an honest livelihood.
