Exclusive – Meeting student welfare activist Nasir Khuehami

‘2018 main jab Asiya-Neelofer ka case aa gaya (In 2018, when the Asiya-Neelofer case was brought to the public eye), I decided to organise a protest in the main city’, says Khuehami.

This was when India witnessed widespread outrage surrounding the rape and murder case of Asiya and Neelofer from Shopian in Kashmir.

In light of this, he organised a protest in Uttarakhand comprising over 700 people, both Kashmiris and non-Kashmiris.

When Thred asked Nasir about any obstacles he faced in this regard, he said, ‘Aap Kashmir ke naam pe, Kashmiri ho ke, non-Kashmiriyo ko mainland India mein mobilise karte hai… yeh bohot kathin kaam hai (In the name of Kashmir, being a Kashmiri and mobilising non-Kashmiris in mainland India is a challenging process)…I was harassed by security agencies’.

Then, on the 14th of February 2019, a convoy carrying 40 Indian security personnel was attacked by a suicide bomber in Kashmir’s Pulwama, severely heightening the concerns of students outside the valley.

Nasir shares, ‘[any political attack] ultimately has a serious impact on the situation on mainland India when it comes to Kashmiri students. Whenever there is any sort of a political development, Kashmiri students become a soft target.’

During this time, Khuehami was in his hometown in Bandipora. But after receiving several distress calls from Dehradun, he decided to book a flight ticket to the city and investigate the matter for himself.

Upon his arrival, he found that multiple students were being thrashed and evicted from their residence by their landlords. Along with help from international non-profit humanitarian organisation Khalsa Aid, Nasir and JKSA were able to evacuate nearly 10,000 students and send them back home.

Today, JKSA has units in Bangladesh, China, Ukraine, the United States, England, and Moldova, among others. With the help of this widespread network, they have played an integral role in not only availing justice for hate crime victims and organising demonstrations but also providing crucial data to the authorities during humanitarian emergencies.

For instance, during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the authorities in Kashmir were unaware of the precise number of their students who were stranded in Ukraine. As a result, the government spokesperson and the government media advisor reached out to Nasir, enquiring about these students.

Within 24 hours, all relevant data relating to the 145 students stranded, such as their name, parents’ details, course, and the location that they were stranded in, were provided.

Upon issuing this information, Nasir even wrote a letter addressed to the J&K government, stating that once the evacuees return to national capital New Delhi, their accommodation in transit and logistics must be arranged free-of-cost. To this, the authorities responded positively and took care of all the necessary amenities.

Similarly, when the Taliban took over control in Afghanistan, Nasir received a call from the Lieutenant Governor at around 11:20 pm; this time too, the government took data from the JKSA for 4-5 students and professors.

But the growing recognition that Khuehami was receiving did not come without cost, especially after he started to express increasingly critical opinions of the ruling party in India.

Looking to pursue a graduate degree in the UK, Nasir had submitted his passport, facing a prolonged delay in receiving it. When Thred asked for an update on this, he said, ‘I received it (passport) in the month of May, after a period of one year and two months.’

In another interview to the Wire in February, Nasir implied that a civil administration officer had suggested that he refrain from speaking up against the regime if he wishes to obtain his passport.

Thread:
Have been Shortlisted for Interview of Chevening Fellowship Award scheduled on 21th February. But JK Govt is not releasing my passport even after 10 Months, despite following all the legal procedures & formalities to procure my indian passport. 1/n@HMOIndia @AmitShah

— Nasir Khuehami (ناصر کہویہامی) (@NasirKhuehami) February 16, 2023

‘This year, I secured an admission in two different universities- SOAS and London School of Economics and Political Science. But, I have decided to defer my admission…I got an admission in international politics in SOAS and global politics in LSE’, says Khuehami.

However, he is currently undecided on his final choice and plans to defer his studies to the next year citing ‘personal reasons’.

In addition to these challenges in his academic career, Khuehami shares that he received an offer from a prominent sensationalist and right wing news channel in India to participate in their debate, with his accommodation, flight, and ticket offered to be taken care of.

Following increasing pressure from such offers, he claims that he had to eventually resort to changing his SIM card to avoid being contacted. He says, ‘I am a person who will call a spade a spade…Main apna zameer nahi bech sakta hun, bure waqt mein, main iss tareeke ke kaam nahi kar sakta’ (I cannot sell my conscience, I cannot do things of such nature even in bad times).

However, those aware of the intricacies of political activism in India would recognise that these are the struggles that young activists such as Nasir Khuehami undergo whilst standing their ground.

Moreover, despite these unprecedented times in India, Nasir and his colleagues at JKSA hold themselves to be “duty-bound to help” and strive in their cause.

So if you would like to educate yourself further on Kashmiri student welfare and stay informed on such updates, you can follow Nasir’s Twitter account where he tweets daily about the conditions of Kashmiri students.