Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 6: Invo-king religion, the hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman and senior separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, today said the non-local students must not be hurt by Valley locals.
“It (protecting non-local students) is our religious obligation, order of Allah and Prophet Muhammad, our culture and tradition to safeguard these outside students and we will not violate this order. The outside students studying here must not get hurt from our side,” Geelani told reporters here at his Hyderpora residence shortly after returning from New Delhi where he was staying up in winters.
The hardline separatist politician at the same time also requested non-local students to maintain calm with their local counterparts. “We are requesting these non-local youths who are studying here not to resort to violence against their local counterparts because they are their colleagues and they study with you,” he said.
Geelani said anyone from outside states can come to Valley for studies and no one should create hurdles in their studies. “…Our religion teaches us not to have animosity with any person on the basis of religion, colour, nationality and cast. We should not hurt or create hurdles in the studies of non-local students because this is not our tradition (Hum Iskay Rawadar Nahi Hai). …Anyone can come and study here,” he said.
He, however, also urged Government of India to provide security to Kashmiri students who are studying in various education institutes of the country. “RSS, BJP, Shiv Sena and Sangh Parrivar are behind the atrocities that are being inflicted on our children in outside educational institutes. Muslim youth and Kashmiris in particular are being thrashed in Indian states. It is the weakness of Government of India but it is also GoI’s responsibility to cure this (Iska Ilaaj Karna Chahiye),” he said.
Meanwhile, expressing serious concern over the prevailing situation in National Institute of Technology (NIT), the Kashmir Inc pitched for the security of entire student community studying in the prestigious institute.
In a statement issued here, a spokesman of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) said that a joint team comprising of Chamber president Mushtaq Ahmad Wani, Kashmir Traders Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) president Muhammad Yasin Khan and Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) president Mohammad Ashraf Mir wanted to visit NIT so as to use its good offices in defusing the prevailing situation in the campus.
“But the team was not allowed by the Government Machinery to enter the NIT, despite its pleadings that the students of the NIT are like their own children and it is a social responsibility of the business organizations which the team was representing, to ensure the students study in peace and tranquility,” said the Chamber spokesman.
The team urged not to politicize the issue and tackle the situation tactfully without use of force and ensure the safety of entire student community and keep politics away from all educational institutions and requested the students to focus on studies and not fall prey to politics, the spokesman added.
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