Pulwama Attack Fallout: Kashmiri Students Studying In Dehradun Beaten, Threatened

Srinagar: Following Pulwama attack, in which over 40 paramilitary forces were killed, several Kashmiri students studying outstate were thrashed by a mob on Friday, asking them to leave their respective colleges.

Some Kashmiri students from Baba Faridudin Institute of Technology (BFIT) in Dehradun were beaten to pulp by a violent mob, asking them to leave the college.

One of the students of the Institute without disclosing his name said he was beaten “ruthlessly”. He alleged that a mob consisting of at least 15-20 persons gathered outside the rented accommodation, where he is living with his friends and started abusing them.

“I am residing in a rented room in MLA Aunty Hostel at Sidhu Wala Chowk Dehradun. In the morning a mob gathered outside my room twice. They were asking me to open the door, when I denied, they were about to break the entrance door,” he said.

The boy said that fearing the reprisal, he escaped from the backdoor and took shelter in open fields after the mob threatened of burning him inside the room.

Another boy Iqbal, who is pursuing PG in Geology, said that he called one of his non-Kashmiri friends to rescue him.

“It took my friend, who is also my batch mate, a few minutes to reach and while I was escaping, the mob was following me and they beat us both with bike helmets and sticks,” Iqbal said.

Iqbal further said, “The mob did not stop till they beat us to pulp. They were telling us that the Kashmiri youth are killing the forces in Valley.”

Other Kashmiri students studying in Dehradun said that the angry mobs were threatened them saying that they will not spare any Kashmiri.

Fearing of getting hurt or killed, the Kashmiri students said that they have taken shelter in one of the buildings of Sidhu Wala Chowk in Dehradun where according to them there are 30-35 Kashmiri students hiding there.

A non Kashmiri student who helped his Kashmiri students escape the wrath of the violent mob said, “A violent protest was going on in the college premises and with great difficulty I managed to help my Kashmiri friends evade any trouble.”

Another Kashmir student said on phone that some Kashmiri Students studying in the nearby college Dolphin were also beaten by a local mob.
Dean of the college told Rising Kashmir said that no protest or beating incident took place in the premises of BFIT College Dehradun.

When asked about the insecurity of the Kashmiri students studying in the college, he said, “I am not the concerned authority to speak on the issue.” (RK)