Shami faces hate, Kashmiri students beaten up in Punjab
NEW DELHI: India’s only Muslim player, Mohammed Shami, was subjected to a fierce online attack following the team’s firstever loss to Pakistan in World Cup history, even as former and current India players, including Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh, extended their support to the pacer.
Violence against Kashmiri students was also reported after the emphatic 10-wicket win at the T20 World Cup on Sunday.
The 31-year-old Shami became the main target after the defeat in Dubai, even though captain Virat Kohli acknowledged that his side had been “outplayed”. Hundreds of messages were left on Shami’s Instagram account saying he was a “traitor” and should be thrown out of the Indian team.
Several Kashmiri students at two educational institutions in Punjab were allegedly attacked by other students, mostly from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, moments after India was defeated
A few students at Bhai Gurdas Institute of Engineering and Technology in Sangrur district reportedly went on a rampage and damaged the hostel rooms, Kashmiri students alleged. A viral video of the purported incident showed broken chairs and upturned beds in the hostel rooms, and bruises on the body of a Kashmiri student.
“We were watching the match here and some students from Uttar Pradesh forcibly came inside. We are here to study,” the student cited above alleged, while showing damage to his room in the video.
Similar reports also came in from the Rayat Bahrat University in Kharar district.
Taking note of the reports, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah appealed to Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi to look into the matter and reassure students.
“It is distressing to hear about the incidents of physical & verbal assault against some Kashmiri students in a college in Punjab last night. I request @CHARANJITCHANNIji to direct @PunjabPoliceInd to look into this & also to reassure the students studying in Punjab,” the National Conference leader tweeted.
The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association also condemned the alleged attacks. In a statement, association spokesperson Nasir Khuehami urged Channi to take action against the accused and provide security to Kashmiri students studying and working in Punjab.
Khuehami alleged that the students were mercilessly thrashed and punched on their faces. They were beaten to pulp by other state students who barged into their rooms, thrashed them, vandalised their rooms and damaged belongings.
The spokesperson added that these incidents have increased the sense of insecurity and anxiety among Kashmiri students as well as among their parents and relatives in Kashmir.
Abdullah earlier in the day called on Indian players to reject the hate messages just as they had backed the Black Lives Matter movement by taking a knee.
“Team India your BLM kneetaking counts for nothing if you can’t stand up for your team