A group of young Kashmiri Muslim artists were denied accommodation in the northern Indian city of Kanpur after Hindu landlords allegedly refused to rent them a flat because of their religion.
The artists, who run an art collective called Glance Kashmir, travelled from Srinagar to Kanpur on October 22 to take part in an exhibition scheduled two days later. The group is known for showcasing Kashmiri culture and everyday life through photography and visual art.
According to their account, what began as a routine search for a short-term rental turned into a humiliating ordeal marked by repeated rejections and Islamophobic remarks.
“These pictures are not just pictures — they are emotions. Each of them holds a story,” the collective wrote on Instagram while describing the experience.
For two days, one of the artists visited several neighbourhoods in Kanpur looking for a flat or small house to rent. But every attempt failed.
“I searched continuously but found nothing,” he said. “During my search, I heard many unpleasant comments. I ignored them with a smile or a polite ‘thank you.’”
In one instance, a local reportedly told him: “Musalmaan aur Ahir ko makaan kya, makaan ka naksha bhi nahi dikhayenge” — meaning, “For Muslims and Ahirs [a lower-caste Hindu community], we won’t even show the plan of the house, let alone rent it.”
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
The group decided to stay quiet and continue their search. On the third day, they finally found a flat for 15,000 Indian rupees (around £140) a month. They paid an advance of 5,000 rupees (£45) to the landlady, and agreed to pay the remainder later that day after returning from their exhibition preparations.
However, when they came back with groceries that evening, the landlady allegedly changed her tone after realising they were Muslims.
“She asked who we were. The moment she learned our identity, she told us to leave immediately,” the collective said.
Despite pleading to stay for one night, the artists were refused entry and had their deposit returned. “So we left… tired, hungry, and heartbroken,” the post read.
The group spent the night searching for alternative accommodation before eventually finding a temporary place to stay.
Pattern of discrimination
Housing discrimination against Kashmiri Muslims has been widely documented across Indian cities including Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Hindu landlords frequently refuse to rent to Muslims from Jammu and Kashmir, often citing “security concerns” or local pressure.
Rights activists say the problem has worsened under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government, especially since the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s limited autonomy in 2019.
“Discrimination against Kashmiri Muslims is systemic and socially accepted in many parts of India,” said a rights campaigner based in Delhi. “It reflects how anti-Muslim prejudice has become mainstream.”
Although Glance Kashmir eventually went ahead with their exhibition, the artists said the experience left a lasting emotional impact.
“We came here to share our art,” one member said. “But we ended up learning once again how hard it is to be a Kashmiri Muslim in India.”
The incident has reignited debate about the everyday discrimination faced by Muslims in India’s urban housing markets and the entrenched prejudice against Kashmiris — a community often portrayed with suspicion and hostility in mainstream discourse.
Neither Kanpur police nor the local authorities have commented on the case.
