Reports
of harassment of Kashmiri students in Uttarakhand haven’t stopped pouring in;
amid that, there is more bad news, this time from Haryana.
Kashmiri
students of a university in Ambala’s Mallana village are the latest to follow
their Dehradun peers and return home, as the aftermath of the February 14
Pulwama terror attack continues to worsen.
Tired
of being heckled and threatened by “right-wing fundamentalists”, around 200
Kashmiri students studying in MM University, Ambala, are making their way home.
Ground reality
A
student said, “Our family members have been worried sick about us since the
terror attack. We plan to return to college within 10 days, but right now, it’s
imperative that we leave; the situation is extremely precarious.”
So
far, more than 148 students have left for safer places, while those staying put
are not stepping out alone and moving around in groups.
The
local administration, however, tried to downplay the exodus and said students
have been going home for regular visits, and that it has nothing to do with any
threats being issued to them.
After
the blast last week, which martyred nearly 40 CRPF personnel, security was
beefed up across the country, especially in places where Kashmiris were
studying or working. However, in spite of the local police’s claims about tight
vigil, students in Ambala are far from feeling safe. It’s true that additional
personnel have been deployed on the ground; yet, the students continue to live
in fear of being attacked.
In
Ambala, many Kashmiri students stay in hostels, while others have taken up PG
or rented accommodations.
Blame game
Ever
since the attack, Hindu organisations have become active in areas with a dense
Kashmiri population, be it students or shopkeepers or traders. It seems every
Kashmiri is on their hitlist; also, these “hardliners” have even threatened
locals of dire consequences if they so much as entertain anyone belonging to Jammu
and Kashmir. This includes sub-letting accommodation to Kashmiris as well as
giving them shelter in their own homes.
On
Monday night, some youths descended at the flats of Kashmiri students. They not
only threatened them, but also beat them up and recorded a video of the assault.
Scared Kashmiris say this is just one of the many such incidents that makes the
police’s claims of extra security arrangements sound completely hollow.
Members
of Hindu organisations, however, have justified their actions on the grounds
that Kashmiri students have been rejoicing after the tragic attack, thereby
displaying an “anti-national” sentiment. The students, on the other hand, have
vehemently denied this allegation.
Police bandobast
After
being alerted about the assault video, which went viral, the Ambala police registered
two different cases in the matter.
Station
Officer, Mullana, Harbhajan Singh said, “Two different cases — one of the
students being assaulted and the other on shooting the video — have been
registered. We have taken cognisance of the intensity of the incident and are
carrying out a thorough investigation. We are doing our level best to identify
the culprits and will arrest all of them at the earliest.”
“The
overall situation is peaceful. In fact, district administration officials
camped here for the whole night. Those who are leaving are just going to visit
their families,” said Sudhir Taneja, DSP, Ambala police.
According
to Mullana sarpanch Naresh Chauhan, “We have made public announcements about
ensuring the security of Kashmiri students in and around the entire university
area. We have made sure to protect each and every pupil. Not just this, we have
even met all of them and assured them of the best possible protection.”
As
per the data available from police records, there are around 490 Kashmiri
residents in this district. In the 11 educational institutions here, there are 146
Kashmiri students in Yamuna Institute, 103 in Ganpati Institute, 57 in Galaxy Global
Institute, 46 in Haryana Engineering College, 34 in Maharishi Ved Vyas
Engineering College, 20 in nursing college, 14 in JMIT, 10 in J P College, six
in DAV Dental College, four in National Polytechnic, and one in Khalsa college.
A
student from Ganpati Institute, Bilaspur, said, “All hailing from Kashmir have
left, only those from Jammu are left at the moment. We don’t know when they
will come back. A friend of mine spoke to some of them, and they all said they
will return only after things normalise and there is no threat for them. It’s
for the best; they will be safe with their families.”
Chairman
of the institute Manish Bindra seconded the student and blamed social media for
fuelling more negativity and fear. “The sad part is that their studies are getting
affected. They will definitely come back, but no one knows when,” he said.
According
to the police, all police stations in the district have prepared a list of
Kashmiri students studying in their respective areas. While officers are
increasing vigil to protect youngsters from the Valley, it’s a fact that most
of them have already left.
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