Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Apr 6: A day after brutal lathi-charge by Police on the peacefully protesting non-local students of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar, a three-member team of Human Resources Development (HRD) Ministry today visited the tension gripped campus on the banks of Dal Lake and took stock of the situation.
The visiting team held talks with the agitating students, who demanded shifting of the NIT to some other location and also sought action against some ‘roguish’ officials of the college as well as the erring cops of J&K Police, responsible for brutal use of force against them.
The students also demanded hoisting of National flag on the campus and return of the tri-colour, which was allegedly snatched by J&K Police from them during a demonstration, last week.
Meanwhile, unfazed by the hostile atmosphere, the courageous non-local students, all girls, also hoisted tricolour on the campus amidst shouting of patriotic slogans like ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, ‘Vande Matram’ and ‘Jab Tak Suraj Chand Rahega, Bharat Tera Naam Rahega’.
Score of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel along with police personnel were deployed across the campus and no outsider including media men was allowed to get inside.
The three-member team, comprising of Sanjeev Sharma, Director(Technical Education) in the HRD Ministry; Deputy Director Finance Fazal Mehmood and Chairman of Board of Governors of NIT M J Zarabi, was rushed by the HRD Ministry to take stock of the situation and look into the grievances of the outstation students studying at the NIT Srinagar.
During half an hour long meeting with the visiting team members, the aggrieved students apprised them about the brutalities of J&K Policemen, who, according to them, did not spare even their handicapped colleague and assaulted them after entering into the hostel rooms. They particularly named an officer of DySP rank and demanded stern action against the erring cops.
Stressing for shifting of the NIT campus to either Jammu or any other place, the fear gripped students sought to go home immediately and then rejoin the college after its relocation to safer site. “We are facing problems in the NIT Srinagar and as result our families always worry about our safety. Our alumni have faced problem, we are facing problem, our seniors are facing problem and tomorrow our juniors will face problem. So, the NIT should be shifted,” they told the MHRD team.
The agitating students also demanded that some of the NIT officials should be transferred and action taken against them for their alleged ‘anti-national’ activities. They feared that if no action is taken, these mischievous faculty members and management officials may spoil the career of NIT students.
The students complained that the NIT authorities were trying to isolate them from rest of the world by blocking social networking sites while wi-fi signal on the campus has also been intentionally made extremely poor.
The students also submitted a formal memorandum of demands to MHRD team and threatened that they would continue boycotting of NIT Srinagar and its academic work until their demands are fulfilled.
The MHRD team also held a meeting with local students, who are understood to have opposed shifting of NIT from Srinagar. They also demanded action against those students who indulged in alleged vandalism inside the campus.
The MHRD team, according to sources, was present in the NIT Srinagar campus till evening and shall stay there for next few days.
Meanwhile, scores of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel along with police personnel were deployed across the campus and no outsider including media men was allowed to get inside.
Meanwhile in Surat, according to agency reports, HRD Minister Smriti Irani said she had spoken to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti who assured her that safety of all students will be ensured. “My officers are in touch with the agitating students and their family members. One or two students said they wanted to go back home for which my ministry is making arrangements,” she said.
“Mehbooba has assured that an enquiry has been ordered into the clashes inside the NIT campus,” Irani said. She sought to allay apprehensions of the students who feared that the agitation will have a bearing on their academic performance as exams are due to start next week.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, campaigning in West Bengal for Assembly polls, also said that he had spoken to Mehbooba who gave an assurance that all students are safe and she would enquire how the incident happened and fix responsibility.
As reported earlier, tension had started brewing inside the NIT Srinagar last week after India lost to West Indies in semi-final in the T-20 cricket tournament prompting some local students to rejoice and burst crackers. This was protested by the outstation students resulting in clashes.
Since March 31 night, the situation inside the campus was volatile and the authorities had posted personnel from Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB). The local police was manning the main gate of the institute.
The developments prompted the NIT authorities to close the campus on Saturday but reopened it on Monday. Last evening, the outstation students tried to march out of the campus for meeting media and highlighting their demands, but JKP cops foiled their attempt by resorting to heavy lathicharge, in which a number of students were injured, some of them seriously.
In Jammu, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh today said that the Government has ordered an enquiry into yesterday’s incident of Police lathicharge on NIT students and the guilty would be punished. “I have talked to Union Home Minister Rajnath as well HRD Minister Smriti Irani over the issue and all necessary measures would be taken for safety and security of the students,” he added.
Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar today said the ongoing tension in NIT Srinagar is an administrative issue and not the security issue. He said the State Government is taking all the requisite measures to restore normal academic activity at the campus.
“I assure the parents of the students of NIT Srinagar that their wards are safe and the State Government is taking all the measures to normalize the situation at the campus,” Mr. Akhtar told media-persons here today. He said it is not a local versus non-local issue as is being projected by some sections of the media but just an administrative issue which is being sorted out. He also urged the students not to resort to any violence and instead focus on their studies.
“The present discordant situation can dent the image of the campus and both the local and the non local students at the NIT should not only ensure well-being of each other, but also uphold the reputation of this premiere institution,” he said.
On the other hand, BJP MLA from Sunderbani, Ravinder Raina informed that in protest against the brutalities on NIT students, he has boycotted the dinner, hosted by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti this evening.
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