Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — An incident involving discriminatory behaviour against two Kashmiri cloth sellers in Himachal Pradesh has sparked widespread concern on social media.
The cloth sellers in Surjanpur village of Hamidpur district in the state were harassed by a woman, who identified herself as the wife of a local sarpanch. A video of the incident has gone viral.
The video shows the woman saying, “We are Hindus, and we have our own Hindu community selling the same things. We should buy from them. Why would someone, especially Muslims, come from somewhere else and do business here? This is our India; you go to your Kashmir. We don’t need you here. I will request everyone not to purchase anything from you. Just leave from here.”
The video shows the Kashmiri cloth seller asserting that they too were Indians. The woman retorted: “If you are Indians, then chant Jai Shri Ram.” The man explained, “We are Muslims and cannot chant a Hindu slogan praising your deity. Religion is different, and nationality is different.” The woman, however, insisted, saying either they chant the slogan or leave the state.
The woman is also heard instructing other villagers to boycott their business.
The incident reflects a growing trend of societal and communal tension in parts of India. While the exact context or motivations behind the woman’s actions remain unclear, such incidents highlight the challenges faced by minority communities, particularly Kashmiris, in other parts of the country.
Kashmiri traders, often seen in various parts of India selling handicrafts and textiles, have faced hostility in some regions, especially following political developments around Jammu and Kashmir.
The demand to chant “Jai Shri Ram” indicates a religious and political undertone, with the slogan being used in recent years as a tool for asserting a majoritarian identity.
Forcing such slogans undermines the secular and pluralistic fabric of the country.
The attempt to dissuade other customers from buying from the sellers directly threatens their livelihood.
Small-scale vendors and tradespeople, particularly those from marginalised communities, depend heavily on fair treatment and open access to markets.
Meanwhile, the national convenor of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, Nasir Khuehami, reportedly said that he has requested the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take immediate and decisive action by directing the authorities to register a case against the woman under the relevant provisions of the law.