Amanjeet Singh
“Some of the demands put forth by the non locals students after Regional Engineering College was converted into NIT in 2003 were never met by the administration which caused the tensions at large scale now. The issue is not like JNU. It is apolitical and has no concern with any religion or region. We have some grievances of which the only solution, we think, is shifting of NIT Srinagar Campus,”
On 9 April Registrar of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) issued a notice about the student demands which were met. The demands which were earlier discussed by the students with a team of Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) were more about the academic issues and had got less to do with the insecurity faced by the non local students at the campus. The NIT is run by MHRD and girls demanded that the restrictions on their movement shall be lifted while the students also complained of rude behaviour of the faculty and the lack of cleanliness and the adequate facilities in the canteen and the laboratory of the institute.
It seems that the India-Carriabean match was only a spark that triggered the clashes between the local and the non local students and their lay something else in their mind: the urge to revitalise the student politics on the campus and to ensure a strong student grievance redressal system.
It was on the eve of 1st Navratri when Hindus were visiting Hanuman Mandir on banks of river Jhelum for special prayers, that some 10 Kms away in Hazratbal area commotion broke out at the prestigious National Institute of Technology (NIT). The heavy contingent of police forces were rushed to the spot and the sprawling campus spanning over hundreds of kanals of land on the banks of famous Dal lake turned into garrison with its all entry and exit points sealed by the uniformed men.
The students from outside the state were aghast over the local students cheering the win of Caribbean cricket team in T-twenty final. The outside students as a mark of protests started a march towards the main gate while holding the tri colour in hands and chanted the “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” slogans. Sensing trouble the authorities directed the state police to stop the march who immediately sealed the gate after pushing inside all the protesters.
Reportedly in the melee, however, the angry students roughed up the senior police officer who tried to maintain calm, warranting furious action against the students. While the students denied any misbehaving attempt of their colleagues with senior cop, the state police came under sharp criticism from national media including from some political leaders for its alleged partial role against non local students in maintaining calm. Some people even brandished the local police as “Pakistani sympathizers and terrorists” in police uniform.
While the trial of events derive the cricket match row as the reason for the restive atmosphere on the campus, but the students have been talking more about how the state of affairs at the campus can be improved. Notwithstanding the political mileage that was taken out from the issue it appeared that the student bonhomie was part of the campus life.
But given the political hue that the issue received, majority of non-local students at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Srinagar, on Monday did not appear for exams being held for various classes and it was the local students who sat for the exams. The union ministry of human resource development (MHRD) had already conveyed to the non-local students that if they do not appear for the exams, they would be permitted to sit for them on a later date.
Around 11 hundred non-local students have left the campus and gone home. While all other demands of the non-local students have been met by the state government and the three-member team of the MHRD, their demand to shift the NIT outside of the Valley has been rejected.
State Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, who engaged in detailed negotiations with the representatives of non-local students for two days, said that since majority of the demands made by the protesting students were met, the tension at the NIT should end soon and students must go back to their classes.
With regard to the demand of the non-local students to punish policemen who carried out a baton charge on April 4, Nirmal Singh said a magisterial probe into the unrest has been ordered and if there had been any dereliction of duty, the guilty policemen would be punished.
“More than thousand outstation students were provided passes to leave the campus,’’ Hostel Manager, Nazir Ahmad told The legitimate.
The students have in fact taken exception to the way the crises at the campus was handled by the police. “We gathered at some distance from the main gate and without any provocation police first discussed the matter and then resorted to excessive physical force on us. Even they barged into rooms of hostels and inflicted injuries on students who were not taking part in the protests,” Ravish Kumar, one of the agitators from Bihar enrolled in BTech 3rd Year said. Kumar said that the police action was instrumental in provoking all the students for mass agitation. “The female students even boycotted attending classes only after police action,” he added.
The students accused that they were ruthlessly beaten by police who even shouted during lathi charge that they are Pakistanis. “You can no way harm us. Yes we are Pakistanis,” said one of the students, quoting the policemen.
Under pressure police was few days later forced to release the video footage of vandalism by the students to justify their action for marinating peace. However, already miffed New Delhi had replaced the state police with 2 battalions of CRPF at institute.
The student clashes had been nothing unusual at the campus however. Last year when the Indian cricket team was defeated by Australia, a group of Kashmiri students had celebrated India’s defeat, triggering clashes between Kashmiri and non Kashmiri students in a common room cum auditorium. In the clashes television set was smashed. But the administration had initiated prompt action and shut the common space shared by the students of conflicting ideologies. Later as the calm prevailed, the common room cum auditorium was thrown open for other recreational activities like gym and indoor games but without a television set.
However, this time when India lost the T-twenty clash to West Indies, the locals had again cheered for Caribbean team and chanted anti India slogans. Infuriated non locals went to Director Institute and sought action against them. Failing to see any disciplinary action over anti India protests at campus, the group of students decided to organize March against the Anti-India protests while hoisting the Indian National Flags, the protesting students claim.
They said that numbers of student injured in Police action were admitted in Bone and Joint and Jawahar Lal Nehru Hospital even one among them suffered fracture in bone. When contacted the authorities in Bones and Joints Hospital denied that any student from NIT was admitted in the hospital.
The police, however, not only justified their action after releasing the video footage of vandalism, they even played down the incident and accused some students for causing disturbance in whole campus. “This is a group of students protesting who wants migration back to their home states,” police said while releasing the vandalism video.
The police had already lodged an FIR on 1st April when the major incident occurred. The FIR is lodged under sections 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 427 (mischief), 336 (endangering life of others) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), while on April 5 further sections were added that include sections 353 (assault on public servant) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant).
The seething anger on ‘nationalism’ apparently seems to be coming down to the certain demands of the students now. In fact, the students believe that there was never debate or any issue pertaining to politics. “Some of the demands put forth by the non locals students after Regional Engineering College was converted into NIT in 2003 were never met by the administration which caused the tensions at large scale now. The issue is not like JNU. It is apolitical and has no concern with any religion or region. We have some grievances of which the only solution, we think, is shifting of NIT Srinagar Campus,” Vijay, BTech 4th year student from Delhi said.
“With spontaneous strikes, shutdown calls and disturbances, Kashmir is not the right place to study the engineering.” Vijay’s view point was backed by many other students who feel their life is restricted and freedom is seized amid political tensions in valley.
“Strikes and curfews are order of the day here and on those days institute remains shut. Our studies get affected. At a place where hearts bleed for Pakistan and there is a venom against India how can we concentrate on studies and live in peace.”
The students by and large talk about the administrative loopholes and partiality by the faculty members.
“A student from Bihar in 1st semester in Metallurgy Engineering Department fulfilled all the criteria required for change of branch was mysteriously dropped, while a daughter of senior Professor enrolled in Information Technology Department was shifted to Computer Science Engineering Department without fulfilling the criteria,” Ravish alleged.
He alleged: “Previously, 70 students from two classes failed to qualify their exams and none among them was local. If everything is normal and the faculty is not biased why they are not allowing media to interact with us?” he questioned. They had refused to hold talks with the Director NIT through his personal assistant.
“They invited five students for talks. We rejected any talks held in closed room. No one is our leader and if they want to discuss let they do it with all the students,” Ravish said.
Around 3300 students, hailing from different states of country are putting up in hostels of the Campus. Of total 3300 nonlocal students in 1st year 725 students are admitted in different engineering degree courses, 700 students in 2nd year, 600 in 3rd year and 550 students in 4th year, while more than 750 students are enrolled in Post-graduate and Research Programmes.
The nonlocal students even termed the harassment of Kashmiri students outside valley a sign of politicising the issue by political groups for vested interests while denying the demand of constructing temple at the top institute of learning. “We read the various reports of harassment of Kashmir citizens in Jammu and other states. We urge people to ensure the safety of Kashmir citizens. Local students are our friends,” they appealed.
“If people want to raise voice in our support let they protest peacefully. We are against any kind of support that harms the Kashmir students, studying in other states of India. Our struggle is just against biased institute administration and nothing else.”
While authorities barred the media to enter into the campus, the students vent their rage on social networking sites like Facebook, youtube and twitter. ‘’Save the students of NIT Srinagar” the page created on faceboook has got over 39000 likes in a week while videos and pictures of protests in campus went viral.
In many among one video, students are listing their demands before MHRD team has also surfaced in which they demand the shifting of campus to some ‘safer’ place besides action against the JK police. The shifting of campus was later dismissed by the MHRD.
The local youth, however, also went on the digital platform and posted the pictures of vandalism and violent protests inside the campus. One of the videos surfaced in which non local students were seen pelting stones on a car. The same footage was also released by the under fire state police later to justify their action against students.
As the uneasy calm prevails inside the campus with heavy contingent of police and CRPF guarding it on all sides, the students seek concrete assurances from the MHRD and local government to meet their demands to end the stand-off. They are not even convinced with the call of separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani who urged locals to treat outside students as guests.
“Kashmiri students should treat outside state students like their guest and the Indian students need to understand the severity of the situation in Jammu Kashmir,” the APHC (G) statement read in the backdrop of tensions at NIT.
The chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti in her interview with television channel termed NIT crisis as non issue and said protesters are some students who want migration in their home states. She hailed the statement of Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
The meeting of Deputy Chief Minister, Nirmal Singh with a group of students of 2nd and 3rd year apparently have not motivated them to go back to their classes.
“On his first visit to Srinagar after the NIT row, he was scheduled to meet protesting students, but later he changed plans. However, after being directed by party high command he held a meeting with a group of students in which Director NIT Srinagar was also present,” media reports said.
He was castigated by students when he said that police resorted to mild lathi charge on protesting students.
The MHRD, to instil the security and confidence among students assured them that their team will be camping in Srinagar until exams are concluded on April 14. The team includes 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.
Here to nail the truth the state government has initiated a magisterial time bound inquiry in the unfolding of unprecedented events at NIT, headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner Srinagar.
Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar had said the government has ordered the probe into allegations of use of “excessive” force by JK Police on protesting students. The minister however, ruled out any role of state government with administrative issues of NIT, saying it was an “autonomous institute, controlled by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India.”
Initiating inquiry, the investigative officer, Nazir Ahmad Baba, ADC Srinagar had issued a general notice appealing the general public who have any information of incident may record his/her statements before the inquiry officer before April 12.
But even as to defuse the crisis, a member of the visiting MHRD team invoked history of Kashmir, stressing that “Kashmir having been known as the abode of saints, it is also my dream that National Institute of Technology grows into an institution that serves as a leading example of amity among people from different religions and faiths,” it seemed administrative inefficiency at the NIT is to blame for the crises.
