Bilaspur
22 Kashmiri shawl sellers have lodged a police complaint in Ghumarwin in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh. These vendors allege that they are being stopped from selling their goods and are being pressured to leave the state. The matter is said to be a matter of business rivalry. This is a dispute between local shopkeepers and Kashmiri hawkers. The police is investigating the matter
According to the information, these hawkers who came from Kashmir had first gone to the SDM of Ghumarwin. The SDM sent his complaint to the local police. Officials say that there is a business rivalry between local shopkeepers associated with Ghumarwin trade circle and Kashmiri hawkers. This is why this controversy has arisen. Although the hawkers have not named anyone in their complaint, the police suspect that local shopkeepers are behind it. The hawkers said they had submitted their papers at Ghumarwin police station earlier this month. Only after that he started selling woolen clothes.
SP said this
Bilaspur SP Sandeep Dhawal said that we have received a complaint at Ghumarwin police station. Last year also a similar dispute took place between Kashmiri hawkers and local shopkeepers. Shopkeepers said that they were incurring losses because of the hawkers. No fighting has been reported yet. We requested Bilaspur DC office to mediate and resolve the matter Is. A meeting between the two sides is expected in the next day or two.
Hawkers from Kashmir made this allegation
A hawker from Kashmir told that he has been coming here with his companions for almost 30 years. For the last two years, we have been facing opposition from local people, especially shopkeepers. Although there has been no physical attack, we are being threatened. Poverty has brought us here to earn our livelihood. We come in November-December and stay till March. We buy goods in bulk from Ludhiana and sell here from door to door and village to village.
denial of allegations
A member of Ghumarwin Vyapar Mandal, on condition of anonymity, denied the allegations of harassment. He said that no one has attacked the hawkers. They buy goods from Ludhiana and sell them here as ‘Kashmiri’ products. We are not aware of any police complaint against him. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Students Association has expressed concern over the alleged harassment. National spokesperson of the association, Adil Bhat has urged Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu to intervene in the matter.
