Smriti Irani : SAVE THE STUDENTS @NIT SRINAGAR
The non-local students at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, have petitioned the Ministry of Human Resource Development to save them from alleged harassment being meted out to them in the wake of recent scuffle between local and non-local students.
The petition was launched on Sunday and has got about 2000 supporters till now. The link of the petition is here https://www.change.org/p/
The students have also created a Facebook page to put forth their point of view – Facebook.com/
The petition states “it all started on the night of India vs West Indies match when local Kashmiri students came out of their hostel rooms to celebrate India’s defeat. The group of students started shouting anti-national slogans and started firing crackers. The local canteen staff at the back of first year hostel started stone pelting at the hostel which led to minor injuries of students. Reacting to this, a group of first year students went to the Director’s office next day and demanded an immediate action for this and also the hoisting of Indian national flag in the campus as is supposed to be done in every central university.
The director sent the students back with an assurance but with no fixed deadline. However, immediately after this, some local Kashmiri students including some M.tech and Ph.d scholars (who are also supposed to teach the B.tech students) formed a group and started hurling anti-national slogans. Some non-local students intervened, in the reply to which one of the local student hit a non-local with a drafter leading to a blood spur from his head. After this, all hell broke loose and there was a minor clash between these two groups. The non-local students afterwards raised Indian national flag and organised a rally in the campus shouting ‘Bharat mata ki jai‘.
The local police force was then called up, who threw tear gases and lathi-charged the non-local students. Moreover, the local mob who lives near the college campus started stone pelting from outside. However, no action was taken by the police force against the Kashmiri students and the local mob. The college authority issued a notice later on the same night stating that the non-local students should vacate the hostels, which was highly unexpected amidst this chaos. At the same time, there was a gathering of localites at the main gate of college campus who were throwing obscenities and were quite angry at the non local students. The college authority decided to call the higher police officials to take control of the situation. The SSP, DM addressed the students later that night and made sure that the issue is cooled down and assured them that the students will be given security by the J&K police. But they also took the assurance from the non locals and local students, not to worsen the situation. Still, on the next morning, some Kashmiri students entered the 2nd year hostel and threatened a non local student, and bewared him of the consequences after the police force leaves the campus.
That student was however caught and was taken to director’s office but it was not made clear what was the action taken against him. The non-locals, however, who stood by their ‘promise’ were now infuriated and then decided to call the SSP again, this time to put a non- negotiable demand of sending them to the airport safely. But this demand was also kept aside and were even told to give their details to the authority. The students however feared that they might be tortured academically ( or may be given NFTE certificate, not fit for technical education), which might ruin their career. The non local students who demanded a safe passage to the airport, were told by the college officials that they were responsible for themselves and college would not take any responsibility, whatsoever.
The students have also started receiving death threats on social networking sites which is also adding to the tension of students as well as parents. On a concluding note, the students are demanding the following things:-
- Permanent strict security must be present at NIT Srinagar since students are being threatened continuously.
- Administration to be revised and since its a National Institute, hence atleast 50% of the staff should be non-local. Also strict action should be taken against teachers who are threatening students for academic suffering.
- The assurance that there won’t be any academic harassment to the students afterwards.
- A basic students council should be formed consisting of subordinates from each year.
- Religious impositions should not be there on students during festivities.
The demands should be fulfilled with immediate effect or else the institution must be shifted to a more socially secure environment where the students do not indulge in such activities. Also where the teachers do not support and develop the feeling of revenge from other fellow students. Share it on the wall of PMO india and smriti irani, tweet using #NITSrinagar “
