Sikh group helps Kashmiri students travel back home

Sikh non-profit organization Khalsa Aid has sent nearly 300 Kashmiri students from various places back to their home state following fear among them in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 in which 40 CRPF troopers were killed.

Khalsa Aid volunteers said on Thursday that the last batch of students from the region were sent on specially arranged vehicles with security till Jammu so that they could travel further ahead to their respective native places.

Around 250 students from Kashmir Valley had gathered in Mohali town in Punjab, adjoining Chandigarh in the past week.

"Most of them were fearing a backlash while some had experienced harassment. At some places, the Kashmiri students were asked to vacate their paying guest (PG) accommodations and had gathered at a gurdwara in Mohali," one volunteer said.

Kashmiri students residing in PG accommodations in Mullana village in Haryana's Ambala district, around 75 km from here, were told to leave on February 16. Following this, some of them arrived in Mohali while others took refuge in the Mararishi Markandeshwar (Deemed) University hostels.

Some Kashmiri students arrived in Mohali from Dehradun and adjoining areas.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said that there were around 4,000 Kashmiri students studying in institutions in Punjab and their safety would be ensured.

--IANS

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