- By Priyanka Koul
- Fri, 21 Nov 2025 08:21 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In the wake of the deadly explosion at Delhi's Red Fort on November 10, which claimed 13 lives and injured several others, Kashmiris across India have found themselves facing increased suspicion, discrimination, and harassment. The attack, which was linked to a group of Kashmiri Muslim doctors, including Dr Umar Un Nabi, who was driving the car, has triggered a wave of hostility towards the Kashmiri community.
As investigations into the "white-collar" terror module progressed, students, employees, and ordinary citizens from the region have reported facing harsh treatment in various parts of the country.
Many Kashmiri students and workers have shared their experiences of being subjected to unfair scrutiny and hostile behaviour. Landlords are refusing to rent out properties to Kashmiris, grocery stores are turning them away, and there have even been sudden expulsions from educational institutions.
The situation has worsened to the point where what once might have been normal security checks or routine questioning has escalated into open distrust and intimidation. This has created a climate of fear for many Kashmiri students and professionals living outside their home state.
“There has definitely been a change in attitudes. Kashmiris living outside are often judged more harshly or singled out unnecessarily because of the actions of a few,” Sajid Bashir, a Kashmiri student living in Noida, told The Daily Jagran.
Just this week, the Faridabad Police questioned over 2,000 Kashmiri students and tenants as part of an investigation into the alleged "white-collar terror module". This kind of sweeping scrutiny has left many Kashmiris feeling alienated and unsafe in their own country.
Faridabad Terror Module Case | Faridabad Police questioned students, the principal and faculty members working with Dr Muzammil at Al Falah University. More than 52 people were questioned. Faridabad Police has detained six people and is interrogating them regarding the terror…
— ANI (@ANI) November 11, 2025
"I wish people understood that being a Kashmiri today comes with an added layer of anxiety and self-consciousness. Most of us are simply trying to build our futures, just like anyone else. We don’t want to be seen as political symbols or scapegoats," Bashir said.
The discrimination against Kashmiri students was even flagged by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who asserted that the actions of a few shouldn’t set a precedent for all Kashmiris living in the country.
Omar Abdullah stressed that not every Kashmiri Muslim is a terrorist and rejected the notion that innocent people should be implicated in terrorist activities. "The entire population of Kashmir is being looked at with suspicion because of the actions of a few," he said.
VIDEO | Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah speaking on the recent blast near Delhi's Red Fort, says, "Not every resident of Jammu and Kashmir is a terrorist. It is only a handful of people who have always tried to disturb the peace and brotherhood in Kashmir."
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 13, 2025
(Full video… pic.twitter.com/PrntfxDUdP
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His father and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and chief ministers across India to ensure that Kashmiris, whether they are living, studying, or working in other states, are not treated with suspicion or subjected to harassment.
#WATCH | Jammu | On Delhi terror blast case, J&K CM Omar Abdullah says, "It is highly condemnable. No religion can justify the killing of innocents with such brutality. Investigation will continue, but we must remember one thing - not every resident of Jammu and Kashmir is a… pic.twitter.com/WUq2GEXcaz
— ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2025
Talib Zaffer, a Kashmiri Journalist living in Delhi-NCR, reflected on the changes in public perception since the attack. "After the Red Fort blast, there was definitely a shift in how people treated me. Even small things, like taking the metro or eating at a restaurant, were affected. There’s a noticeable change in the way people react to your presence. Sometimes it’s subtle, other times not so much.”
He recalled one unsettling experience and said, “The day after the blast, I got on the metro and overheard two men talking. One of them said, ‘Ye sare Kashmiri atankwadi hain’ (All Kashmiris are terrorists).”
Talib explained that it isn’t just the direct discrimination that stings, it’s the constant scrutiny and the sense of being “othered” that makes daily life difficult for Kashmiris.
Apart from Abdullahs, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti also addressed the issue, urging that anger after such incidents should not be directed at the entire Kashmiri population. She emphasised that Kashmiris should not bear the consequences of actions they had no part in.
The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has alleged that Kashmiri students across several northern states are facing profiling, eviction and intimidation in the aftermath of the Red Fort blast in Delhi.
JKSA National Convenor Nasir Khuehami claimed that Kashmiri students are being harassed in universities and localities in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi.
Jammu and Kashmir Students Association officials addressing a press conference at the Press Club of India, in New Delhi on Nov 17, 2025 | Photo Credit: ANI
"Kashmiri students believe in India's democracy and in the mainstream, not in terrorism. But they are being profiled and vilified by authorities and local people across states," Khuehami said.