After her video harassing two Kashmiri shawl sellers went viral triggering widespread outrage, the Himachal Pradesh woman has tendered an apology.
The video of the woman, wife of a sarpanch, was shared widely on social media, warning two shawl sellers from Kashmir against trading their wares in Himachal Pradesh and even forcing them to chant “Jai Shri Ram”.
On Tuesday, national convener of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association Nasir Khuehami shared the video of the woman apologizing for her actions on X.
The woman said, “I accept my mistake and apologise if I intentionally or unintentionally said something wrong. I told them not to come to my home as some women live alone here and are scared of strangers.”
Khuehami wrote that the woman expressed deep regret for her actions and issued a formal apology. “The victims (Kashmiri Shawl Sellers), in a remarkable gesture of forgiveness, has chosen to pardon her and requested the police not to proceed with lodging the FIR,” he added.
He also thanked the Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Sukhu and his media advisor Naresh Chauhan for the personal intervention.
The Himachal Pradesh government has taken note of the communal harassment of two Kashmiri shawl sellers in Surjanpur Village, in Kangra District. The woman involved has been detained and is currently being questioned by the authorities.
In the viral 2.46-minute video, the woman can be seen telling the two Kashmiris not to come to the village and asking them to chant “Jai Shri Ram” to prove they are “Hindustani”.
“No one will purchase their products, buy from our Hindu people,” the woman is seen telling others in the video. “Don’t come in my area,” she told shawl sellers.
