Kashmiri shawl vendors in Himachal Pradesh allege harassment by local shopkeepers
The police attributed the dispute to clashing business interests and said they were pursuing mediation between both parties to resolve it.
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Twenty-two Kashmiri shawl vendors have lodged a police complaint in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district alleging that they were being prevented from selling their goods by local shopkeepers, The Indian Express reported on Friday.
The shawl vendors also said they were being pressured to leave Himachal Pradesh, but did not name any individuals in their complaint. They also claimed to have submitted their credentials at the Ghumarwin police station earlier this month before plying their trade in the district.
The police attributed the dispute to clashing business interests between the Kashmiri hawkers and local shopkeepers, organised as the Ghumarwin Beopar Mandal.
“We have received the complaint at Ghumarwin police station,” Bilaspur Superintendent of Police Sandeep Dhawal told The Indian Express. “A similar dispute arose last year between Kashmiri hawkers and local shopkeepers, who claimed financial losses due to the hawkers. No physical assault has been reported. We have requested the deputy commissioner’s office in Bilaspur to mediate and resolve the issue amicably. A meeting between both parties is expected within the next day or two.”
56-year-old Jabbar Kaka, a Kashmiri hawker from the Union Territory’s Kupwara district, said that he and his colleagues had been selling their wares in the town for almost 30 years.
“However, over the past two years, we have faced unexpected opposition from...
