'Treated Us As Family': How Sikhs Aided Kashmiri Students Post Pahalgam Attack

From offering shelter, food to transportation, Sikh volunteers became lifelines for many Kashmiri students.

Amid fears, anxiety haunting Kashmiri students, Sikh volunteers step in to help.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

"We stay inside our rooms. We don’t step out after sunset, not even for food. It feels like we are stuck in someone else’s war.” 

These are the words of 23-year-old Tufail*, a Kashmiri student at one of India’s prestigious universities in Delhi.

Like many others studying outside the Valley, he is caught in a wave of fear and anxiety following recent incidents of harassment and attacks of Kashmiri students in various parts of North India, such as Punjab and Chandigarh. 

At around 3 PM on 24 April, Tufail received his seventh call of the day since morning, as his parents were worried about his whereabouts and were inquiring about his well-being. 

Tufail said that he is pursuing his Honors degree. He recounted receiving about “12-13 calls a day” from his worried family.

The attack that happened in Pahalgam meadows left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead, and many others injured. The attack shocked the whole of India, with condolences pouring in from all over the world. A wave of anger and hate against Kashmir also spread. 

Eyes of a Kashmiri student peer from behind a banner that reads “Stop Harassing Kashmiri Students,” in Srinagar city, following reports of harassment and assault on Kashmiri students outside the Valley.

(Photo: Ubaid Mukhtar)

While some students like Tufail continue to remain holed up in their hostel rooms, despite exams, nearly hundreds of others have packed their bags and returned home to Kashmir citing threats to their safety and mental well-being. 

Amid this distressing wave of fear, a heart-warming story of solidarity has also emerged. In Chandigarh and neighbouring areas, members of the Sikh community have opened their homes, Gurdwaras, and hearts to help these students return home safely.

From offering shelter and food to arranging transportation and emotional support, Sikh volunteers have become lifelines for many students caught in an increasingly hostile environment. 

A Kashmiri student, recently returned from Punjab University, stands at the Pantha Chowk bus stand after a wave of attacks targeting Kashmiri students compelled many to head back home.

(Photo: Ubaid Mukhtar)

Fear In the Air 

In recent weeks, Kashmiris studying in various colleges outside the Valley have increasingly reported instances of being singled out for their identity. Though not every one of them faced physical assault, yet many say the mental trauma was unbearable. 

“We were constantly being watched. People would ask about our background, make rude comments, and some of my friends were even harassed,” said Faizan*, a student who returned after a troubling episode near his college in Punjab. “I could not take the tension anymore.” 

He said that the attackers they could identify were mostly from multiple parts of India, like UP, Maharashtra, and others but none from Punjab. 

“The colleges in Chandigarh and Punjab have students from all over India, and none of them were local or a resident of Punjab,” recalled Faizan as he stepped down from his bus in Pantha Chowk, Srinagar, and met his family members who had come to receive him at the bus stand. 

An anguished Kashmiri student stands with his suitcase in front of a bus after fleeing Punjab, where he was targeted by miscreants in the aftermath of the Pahalgam incident.

(Photo: Ubaid Mukhtar)

Faizan was among many other Kashmiri students who found solace in the help of Punjab’s Sikh community. He described how the groups in Punjab and the local Sikh community helped him and other Kashmiri students, and how they were welcomed with warmth, given food, and allowed to sleep peacefully after the trauma of many days. 

“They treated us like their own family members. They made no distinction between religion and region,” he said. 

How Sikhs Became 'Angels' For Kashmiri Students

As panic spread in parts of Punjab, the local Sikh community in Chandigarh, Mohali, and other parts of Punjab became angels for Kashmiri students in distress.

Videos circulating on social media, later verified, show Sikh volunteers coordinating travel arrangements, handing out food packets, and ensuring students safely boarded buses heading toward the Valley. 

Some of these also include groups such as SATH, Misl Satluj, and Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha.

The Sikh volunteer of Kashmir, Sardar Angad Singh, who helped Kashmiri students coordinate with different Sikh associations and others in Punjab, said it is not about religion or politics, but about doing what is right. 

“They were scared, and we had space. That’s all that mattered to us.” 

Members of the United Sikh Students Federation (USSF) accompanied students from their respective colleges to Mohali Airport, ensuring their safe travel.

(Photo: Special Arrangement)

“As we got information about Kashmiri students being harassed and attacked in Punjab and its parts, we forwarded requests to student organizations, social and political groups to come forward for assistance. Soon, Akali Dal (Amritsar), the United Sikh Student Federation, among many others, stepped in to help,” said Singh. 

He continued, “With the joint efforts of all, we arranged transportation for students who needed to go back home, and our volunteers also accompanied students from their colleges to Mohali airport and to Lakhanpur to ensure their safety.” 

Many students also recounted how Gurdwaras went as far as covering students’ travel expenses and personally accompanying them to transport terminals. In many cases, Sikh student groups informed Kashmiris about where they could seek safe refuge.

Youth leaders of the Akali Dal Amritsar accompanied a group of Kashmiri students from Mohali to the Lakhanpur border in Punjab, ensuring their safe passage out of the state.

(Photo: Special Arrangement)

Ummar Jamal, the National President of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, told The Quint that they had received hundreds of calls, some as late as 3 AM. 

“Students were expressing concerns about their safety. The trigger was a video containing an ‘open threat’ to a Kashmiri student, which caused widespread panic,” he said, adding that even though there are no official figures, thousands of students are studying outside the region. 

He said students were mostly subjected to verbal abuse and harassment, and so far, there have been also reported incidents of physical assault as well.

“Our phones haven’t stopped ringing. We tried to coordinate with police, respective state governments, local gurudwaras, NGOs, and even college authorities to get the student issues addressed,” said Jamal.

Families Still On Edge 

However, back in the Kashmir Valley, families of these students remain deeply unsettled. Even as some students return home, hundreds remain stranded, too afraid to step out or travel alone. 

“We sent our children to study, not to suffer,” said a parent, whose son remains at a university in Delhi. 

“We are scared every day. My wife hasn’t slept properly in a week.” 

Two Kashmiri students stand in front of the bus that brought them from Punjab to Srinagar, forced to flee after the Pahalgam incident. They wait for their families to pick them up.

(Photo: Ubaid Mukhtar)

What Have Political Leaders Said So Far?

As pressure mounted, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah assured families that the safety of students was ‘a top priority.’ 

“We are in constant touch with administrations in Punjab, Delhi, and other regions where our students are enrolled. No Kashmiri should feel abandoned,” he said, as sharing a dedicated student helpline that had been launched to provide assistance and coordination for those facing trouble outside the Valley. 

Meanwhile, former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh spoke to Nasir Khuehami, national convenor of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA), to express solidarity.

“Every Kashmiri student is like my own child. They are like my family. They are an inseparable part of India, and Punjab is as much their home as Kashmir. My doors are open to them—anytime, for anything,” Singh said during the call.

A Story of Fear Persists

The past few weeks have left an indelible mark on Kashmiri students studying outside the Valley and among those who have returned to the Valley. For many, the experience has been traumatic. 

“We were frightened, broken, and lost,” said one student, unloading his suitcase at Srinagar’s Pantha Chowk Bus Stand. 

He said, “As we were traumatised and torn in Punjab and its parts due to harassment and mental torture, the Sikh volunteers were like someone who took us from darkness to light.” 

A Kashmiri zips his bag as disembarking from a bus in Srinagar’s Pantha Chowk, having returned from Punjab where he was targeted by miscreants in the aftermath of the Pahalgam incident.

(Photo: Ubaid Mukhtar)

Another student who returned to Kashmir, when approached by The Quint for comments, declined to speak. 

“I am sorry, I don’t want to talk,” he said, adding that he has to go back to college and study once the situation normalises. 

“If I say anything today and it is seen by the people there, my few days of trauma will turn into a nightmare for many years.” 

Many other students also declined to talk with similar statements, fearing they might be ‘identified and then targeted again’ in the future because of their comments. 

Tufail, who is still in Delhi, is waiting for his exams to finish so he can return home to Kashmir. “The last few weeks have felt like I am trapped in a cage. I feel like ‘a bird whose wings have been clipped’,” shared Tufail as he received another call from his family. 

*Names changed to protect identity.