More than 5,000 Kashmiris, who have been living in peace in Kerala for the past several years, have found the going tough following the arrest of one of them on charges of militant links.
The recent arrest of Hizbul Mujaheedin activist who was working as a salesman in a handicrafts showroom in Idukki district has brought all Kashmiri traders in Kerala under the scanner.
The police as well as the local people started seeing them with suspicion after it was revealed that Altaf Ahmed Khan, who was arrested from Kumily in Idukki district, was a Hizbul Mujahideen militant. The latter have been treating them as terrorists since then.
While most Kashmiri traders in Kerala have been in the handicraft business for decades, it’s the newer entrants who are suddenly under scrutiny. The frequent police checks on Kashmiri houses, shops and godowns has rattled the community.
Even though Kerala has not witnessed any major terrorist activity in the recent past, the arrest of Hizbul activist and a top naxalite leader clearly suggests that terrorist outfits are using Kerala for their clandestine operations.
The police have been keeping a close watch on the Kashmiris as well as their business partners and relatives visiting them.
The influx of Kashmiris began in the ‘90s when militancy in the Jammu and Kashmir escalated. They have been making a living by selling handicrafts, carpets and such things in tourist centres.
Majority of the Kashmiris are found at Kovalam, Cochin and other major tourism centres. As many as 150 Kashmiris are living permanently at Kumily. Most of them are living with their family and doing business.
At Kovalam where lot of Kashmiris are engaged in trade, the police are verifying their address. Their activities are also being monitored by the intelligence officials.
Shops at Kumily run by Kashmiris were also raided by the police, intelligence sources said. The Kashmiris in Kochi are engaged in the business of handicrafts and carpets in the tourist centre at Mattancherry and Fort Kochi. According to the police, there are more than 300 Kashmiris in Kochi and most of them are doing business.
The Kashmiris in these centres are concerned after the arrest of Altaf and the subsequent developments. While the police have launched a drive to check the antecedents of the Kashmiris, the Kashmiri association has also stepped up vigil.
The Kashmiri Cultural Association, which was formed seven years ago to protect the interests of the Kashmiris in the state, has come forward to help the police in identifying the black sheep.
Meanwhile, Altaf has been remanded to police custody for two days for interrogation. He has reportedly told the investigators that he had come to Kerala to lead a new life after getting fed up with the terrorist’s life.
Barring once, Altaf had not kept in touch with the militant outfit since his arrival in Kerala. Altaf claimed that he had joined the Hizbul Mujahide en after his higher secondary education for higher studies. The outfit had recruited students to smuggle arms.
Altaf disclosed that he had planned to go abroad to escape from the militants. He fell in the police net after he applied for the passport. The Jammu and Kashmir police identified him from his photograph.
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