Supreme Court orders states to protect Kashmiris .... Home ministry told to repeat earlier order on shielding Kashmiris

TT, 23 February 2019, New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday directed all states and Union territories to ensure the security of Kashmiris, particularly students, amid reports of them being attacked and harassed in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror strike.

The court also directed the Union home ministry to reiterate its earlier advisories to all states to ensure the protection of life and properties of people of Kashmiri origin after attorney-general K.K. Venugopal informed the court that the Centre had already issued the necessary directives.

Venugopal clarified that the advisories were issued by the Centre much before the Pulwama attack. The Centre, he said, cannot act beyond the advisories because law and order is a state subject and it is for the respective directors-general of police to take action.

On the suggestion of senior advocate Colin Gonzalves, appearing for petitioner Tariq Adeeb who is also an advocate, the apex court said the Union home ministry shall give wide publicity to contact details and the helpline linked to nodal officers appointed in each state or Union territory to tackle cow vigilantism squads.

Aggrieved Kashmiris should be asked to contact these nodal officers, the court said.

On September 6, 2017, the apex court had directed all states and Union territories to forthwith appoint special nodal officers drawn from the police department in each of their districts to tackle the menace of cow vigilantes.

These nodal officers will now deal with complaints of harassment of Kashmiris, a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Sanjiv Khanna said, posting the matter for further hearing to February 28.

The directive was issued after the petitioner brought to the court’s notice alleged harassment and attacks on Kashmiris in several states. The petitioner also highlighted controversial tweets by Meghalaya governor Tathagata Roy, who had endorsed a call to boycott “everything Kashmiri”.

The bench asked the state police chiefs and city police commissioners in the respective states and cities to take appropriate measures to deal with the situation. It did not comment on the governor’s action.