RSS organisations in Dehradun force two colleges to say they won’t admit Kashmiris
NB: The RSS is engaged in its favourite activity - fostering division and victimising innocent persons even whilst proclaiming its patriotism. Kashmiri students who came to get an education are being punished and demonised for no fault of theirs, in order to push the RSS agenda. This is a shame and a blot on the government. Contrast this to the call by this group of Kashmiri Pandits in 2016 to protect all Kashmiri students as our children. What will these poor students say when they return to their homes - that there's no room for Kashmiris in India? Are the IAS and IPS sworn to uphold India's Constitution or to jump to the diktats of the RSS?
If you are so terrified of the Sangh Parivar that you cannot even protect innocent young people from peacefully pursuing their studies, then by what right do you talk of united India? The job of the administration is to uphold the law not to provide a shield for hooliganism. To harass, intimidate and do violence to innocent persons on mere suspicion, or merely because they belong to this or that community is a crime against the Constitution and a crime against humanity. Shame on the RSS, and shame on all educational and administrative authorities for allowing goondas to indulge in criminal intimidation under their noses. DS
If you are so terrified of the Sangh Parivar that you cannot even protect innocent young people from peacefully pursuing their studies, then by what right do you talk of united India? The job of the administration is to uphold the law not to provide a shield for hooliganism. To harass, intimidate and do violence to innocent persons on mere suspicion, or merely because they belong to this or that community is a crime against the Constitution and a crime against humanity. Shame on the RSS, and shame on all educational and administrative authorities for allowing goondas to indulge in criminal intimidation under their noses. DS
A 23-year-old student from the Uttaranchal PG College of
Bio-Medical Sciences and Hospital, who is from Kupwara in Kashmir, said, “We
have been going to the bus station in small groups so that we can leave the
town unnoticed.” While the local police
have been helpful, he says, “its unfortunate that we are facing such a
situation in Dehradun. In Kashmir, the situation is always tense. We came here
to get the education that we couldn’t in Kashmir, but the past three days have
changed everything. People (locals) look at us as if we have wronged them,” he
says.
As fear hung in the
air over Kashmiri students being
targeted in Dehradun following the Pulwama terror attack on Thursday, at
least two institutes in the city have stated that they will not admit any
student from Kashmir in the new academic session. The fear and open threats
also prompted several Kashmiri students to temporarily leave the city. In an “undertaking” to
the students’ union of the Dehradun-based DAV PG College - which, along with
members of the ABVP, VHP, and Bajrang Dal, had led the protests outside
colleges on Friday - Dr Aslam Siddiqui, principal of Baba Farid Institute
of Technology (BFIT), wrote on Friday, “Students’ Union president, we assure
you that if any Kashmiri student is found engaged in any anti-national
activity, then the student will be expelled from the institute.”“Nae satra mein kisi bhi Kashmiri chhatra
ko daakhila nahi diya jaega (no new Kashmiri student will be admitted in the
upcoming session),” the letter further stated.
On being contacted by
The Indian Express, Siddiqui said, “Around 400-500 people from ABVP, VHP, and
Bajrang Dal protested in front of the institute between 1 pm and 5pm. They
asked us to assure them that all the Kashmiri students would be expelled from
BFIT. I tried explaining that expelling students mid-term would affect their careers.
Finally, keeping in mind the safety of the Kashmiri students, I had to give in
writing that we won’t accept any Kashmiri student from the next session.” Up to
250 students from J&K study in BFIT.
On Friday, after
right-wing groups protested in front of Alpine College demanding that all its
300-odd Kashmiri students be expelled, Chauhan issued a separate declaration
that no new Kashmiri student would be admitted in the new session. Saini told The Indian
Express, “We took the decision to keep the Kashmiri students in the institute
safe (from right-wing groups). Further, we will follow whatever orders are
issued by the state government with regard to giving admission to Kashmiri
students.” DAV Students’ Union
president Jitendra Singh Bisht, who is from the ABVP, said, “We haven’t been
able to approach all institutes, but we will do so and get an undertaking that
they won’t take in any new Kashmiri student.”
Vikas Verma, Bajrang
Dal leader in Dehradun, said, “We don’t want even one Kashmiri Muslim student
in Uttarakhand because they are engaged in anti-national activities.” Dehradun Senior
Superintendent of Police Nivedita Kukreti said, “The police will uphold law and
order.” While Kashmiri
students in the city have been temporarily leaving the city, Chief Minister
Trivendra Rawat said, “Kashmiri students in Uttarakhand need not worry.
However, action will be taken any student, Kashmiri or non-Kashmiri, in case of
violation of law.”
Over 120-odd students
from Kashmir, mostly residing in and around the Turner Road, have been packing
their bags for Chandigarh. Over a 100 students had left on Saturday while
another 64 are waiting in the city’s Rampur area, hoping the Uttarakhand or J&K
government would arrange for some transportation so that they can leave the
city for now. Inside a rented house
in Turner Road, a 23-year-old student from the Uttaranchal PG College of
Bio-Medical Sciences and Hospital, who is from Kupwara in Kashmir, said, “We
have been going to the bus station in small groups so that we can leave the
town unnoticed.”
While the local police
have been helpful, he says, “its unfortunate that we are facing such a
situation in Dehradun. In Kashmir, the situation is always tense. We came here
to get the education that we couldn’t in Kashmir, but the past three days have
changed everything. People (locals) look at us as if we have wronged them,” he
says. About 17 km away, in Sudhowala locality,
police booked four men for assaulting two Afghan students, whom they had
mistaken for Kashmiri. This correspondent witnessed the men stopping their
vehicle in front of the two Afghan youths and asking them to chant “Hindustan
zindabad” and “Pakistan murdabad”. When they didn’t, the men assaulted the two
youths.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/in-dehradun-two-colleges-say-wont-admit-kashmiris-5588503/see also
Mubashir Mir - Between Sanghi & Separatists: an alternate perspective from Kashmir
