Reports of Kashmiri students facing profiling, social isolation and harassment outside the Union territory, especially in north Indian states, and the call by senior political leaders from the Valley to end them all need serious consideration not just by the governments at the Centre and the states but the civil society as well.
It is a fact that several people with brilliant academic records and professional backgrounds have been arrested in connection with the recent car bomb blast in the national capital and the huge haul of explosives, purportedly procured for perpetrating terrorist activities in the country. All those responsible for the acts and those who aided it must be brought to justice.
Democratic practices mandate that the job of dealing with law-breakers must be left to the investigating agencies and the judiciary and civil society must get on with life, instead of turning judge on the conduct of anyone who shares social, religious or regional characteristics with the alleged perpetrators.
It is in this context that the country must lend its ears to the demand by Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and veteran CPI(M) leader from the UT Md Yousuf Tarigami. They have called for strict punishment to be meted out to those involved in the Delhi blast but request that innocent civilians be spared. The people of Jammu and Kashmir should not be stereotyped or stigmatised, Mr Abdullah has said while Ms Mufti has warned against collective punishment of the UT people. Mr Tarigami has cautioned that harassment faced by Kashmiri students and labourers could foster fear and alienation among the youth while indiscriminate arrests and suspicion deepen divides. They have also warned investigation agencies to not harass unsuspecting civilians.
It takes a fair bit of understanding of democratic practices and faith in the judicial processes to be non-judgmental about fellow citizens. India as a country must rise to this challenge in these trying times.
