Photo: Kashmiri student Tahir Majeed was beaten in an act of targeted violence at Mewar University in Northwest India

By Kannan Krishnan

On November 22, four Indian students were arrested for attacking four Kashmiri students at Mewar University in Chittorgarh, located in Rajasthan province along the Indian border with Pakistan.

The attack was instigated by the four Indian students from Bihar after one of them was denied a gate pass to exit the university, while a Kashmiri student was allowed to pass. The infuriated Bihari students called the Kashmiri students “terrorists” in response.

That night, the Indian students planned a coordinated attack on the Kashmiris, beating them with rods and throwing stones at them. One of the Kashmiri students, Tahir Majeed, sustained major injuries and was rushed to the hospital while the others suffered minor injuries. This attack is a clear sign of targeted violence towards Kashmiris in the Indian state.

In Rajasthan, this is the second instance of violence against Kashmiris in past few months. In September, a Kashmiri student named Mir Faiz was tied to a pole, beaten, and made to wear women’s clothes.

These attacks against Kashmiri people reveal the rising tide of Hindu Fascism in India. Violent attacks on national minorities, women, Muslims, and lower caste people have been growing since the election of Hindu fascist Narendra Modi.

The national oppression of the Kashmiri nation has intensified since the revocation of Article 370 in August. The Indian State has made every attempt to crush the rebellion of Kashmiri people by intensifying military occupation in the region, cutting off telecommunications and detaining thousands in camps. International support for the Kashmiri national liberation struggle is imperative in the face of this repression.