Stay indoors, avoid public confrontations, and refrain from engaging in inflammatory or political content online, says an advisory issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) to students from the region residing in different parts of the country. It urged them to remain vigilant and prioritise their safety amid rising tensions and alleged harassment of Kashmiris in different parts of the country in the wake of the brutal terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed 26 lives.
The association, which has condemned the terror attack, termed it “an act of cowardice and brutality,” and that “no cause, no ideology can ever justify such barbarity”.
“I kept receiving calls from (Kashmiri) students as late as 3 am today. The situation is particularly grim in Uttarakhand after a video circulated online showed Kashmiri Muslim students being given an ultimatum to vacate their state in the morning. This triggered a lot of panic not only among the students from Dehradun but at other places as well. We receive distress calls where students were harassed, directly or indirectly,” JKSA national president Ummar Jamal told The Indian Express.
The association has also been coordinating with local authorities to assist the affected Kashmiri students.
“We have urged the students who reached out to us to keep calm, stay indoors, and amplify the incidents on Twitter, and to approach authorities and police officials,” Jamal said.
“So far, this has been done by student activists alone. While senior leaders have extended verbal support, this issue needs urgent attention at the highest level. The Government of Jammu and Kashmir must intervene proactively to protect students,” he asserted.
In its public statement, the association reaffirmed its condemnation of the Pahalgam attack, stating, “Terror has no religion, no justification — it must be condemned in the strongest possible terms and countered with unity, resolve, and justice. This tragedy has shaken us all, and we, too, mourn this heartbreaking loss.”
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JKSA national convenor Nasir Khuehami said the association had been notified of about 8–9 incidents from students across India, along with numerous distress calls in response to these incidents. “I was flooded with calls and texts asking for help…”, said Khuehami.
The organisation also received several calls from Chandigarh, Prayagraj, and Himachal Pradesh.
The association also expressed solidarity with the victims’ families saying: “We stand shoulder to shoulder with the grieving families in this moment of immense pain and sorrow. Our prayers are with them.”
Jamal, in the statement, urged Kashmiri students “to steer clear of any misplaced bravado” and asked them to focus on studies. “Don’t fall into the trap of misplaced machoism. The priority right now is your safety, your future, and maintaining peace. Let us not be provoked by hate-mongers seeking to exploit this tragedy for political ends,” he added.
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Helpdesks opened
JKSA stated that it has established a dedicated response team to provide prompt assistance by coordinating with local authorities. JKSA has circulated the following helpline numbers for students facing difficulties: 9149676014, 7006922289, 8825005327, 9906299199, 9602689622, 6006169477, 8082602445, 9149500623, 6006333584.
Meanwhile, the Resident Commission of Jammu and Kashmir government in Delhi has released the 24X7 helpline numbers to assist Kashmiri students residing in different parts of the country: 7303620090, 9682389265, 9419158581, 01124611108, 01124615475, 01124611157, 01126112021, 01126112022.