Artists denied flat in Kanpur over Kashmiri identity

October 29, 2025 by News Desk

A group of Kashmiri artists from the collective Glance Kashmir faced discrimination in Kanpur while searching for accommodation ahead of their art exhibition, scheduled to begin on October 24.

According to the group, they were repeatedly denied flats after revealing their Kashmiri Muslim identity. “For two days, I searched continuously but found nothing. I heard many unpleasant comments but ignored them,” one of the members wrote on social media.

They said a landlord openly told them, “Musalmaan aur Ahir ko makaan kya, makaan ka naksha bhi nahi dikhayenge” (We won’t even show the house plan to Muslims or Ahirs).

The group eventually found a flat for ₹15,000 and paid an advance, but when the landlady learned they were from Kashmir, she asked them to vacate immediately and returned the money. Their request to stay overnight was refused.

The artists said they felt “tired, hungry, and heartbroken,” and later decided to share the incident to highlight prejudice faced by Kashmiris outside the Valley.

Housing bias against Kashmiris and Muslims has been documented across Indian cities, with studies showing widespread denial of rentals based on identity.