Ahead of Budget Session, Nasir Khuehami meets RS MP Sajjad Kichloo; Flags student issues, Jamia hostel crisis, and harassment of Kashmiri shawl sellers

• Kichloo assures he will raise the issues in Parliament, seek Union Home Ministry’s intervention, and press for a structured inter-state protection mechanism

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the forthcoming Budget Session of Parliament, Nasir Khuehami, National Convenor of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA), held an extensive and detailed meeting with Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Sajjad Kichloo on Tuesday in New Delhi to discuss a range of pressing issues concerning students and marginalised communities from Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting, which lasted for over three hours, witnessed in-depth deliberations on multiple long-pending and emergent concerns requiring urgent parliamentary and administrative intervention.

During the meeting, Khuehami flagged the deteriorating situation faced by Kashmiri students studying across the country, with particular emphasis on the ongoing hostel crisis at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. He apprised the Rajya Sabha MP about repeated representations, made by JKSA highlighting acute accommodation shortages, lack of transparent allotment mechanisms, and the resulting academic and psychological distress faced by students; especially those coming from economically weaker backgrounds. Khuehami stressed that the issue has been consistently raised across public platforms and formal submissions to authorities, yet remains unresolved.

The discussion also focused extensively on the alarming rise in incidents of harassment, intimidation, and physical assaults against Kashmiri shawl sellers and traders in various parts of the country. Khuehami highlighted a worrying pattern of repeated targeting of shawl vendors in states such as Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and other regions, where these traders; many of whom have been engaged in this livelihood for decades have faced violence, extortion, arbitrary evictions, and social profiling. 

He pointed out that JKSA has already flagged these incidents through formal letters and multiple official channels, including communications addressed to the Union Home Ministry, state governments, and Directors General of Police, alongside sustained advocacy and meetings with various authorities.

The meeting also covered a wide range of other student-related concerns, including challenges related to scholarships, accommodation, academic delays, and the need for institutional sensitivity. Khuehami underlined that despite assurances from state authorities in several cases, the absence of a clear institutional mechanism has allowed such incidents to recur, leaving Kashmiri traders vulnerable and fearful. He stressed the need for a centralised protection framework to ensure their safety, dignity, and right to livelihood across states, particularly during peak trading seasons.

Responding to the concerns, Rajya Sabha MP Sajjad Kichloo gave a detailed and patient hearing to all issues raised and assured that he would formally raise these matters during the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament. He expressed serious concern over the Jamia Millia Islamia hostel issue and agreed that denial of basic accommodation to students undermines both access to education and constitutional guarantees of equality and dignity.

Kichloo further assured that he would seek the Union Home Ministry’s direct intervention regarding the repeated harassment of Kashmiri shawl sellers and would press for the formulation of a robust inter-state coordination mechanism involving state police forces, district administrations, and central agencies to prevent recurrence of such incidents. He also assured that parliamentary questions, special mentions, and formal communications would be pursued to ensure accountability and time-bound redressal.