Srinagar: Hundreds of Non-Kashmiri students at Srinagar’s National Institute of Technology alleged that the Jammu and Kaskmir police brutally kicked and punched them when they attempted to leave institute premises late on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Union HRD ministry has sent a two-member team to NIT Srinagar campus to take stock of the prevailing situation.
Here is everything you need to know about NIT row as of now.
1) It all started after India lost the World T20 semi-final to West Indies on Thursday, some Kashmiri students allegedly raised anti-India slogans and burst firecrackers resulting in a clash with non local students.
The arugument between Non-Kashmiri students and Kashmiri students began in the dining hall of the institute after Indian team's defeat. There are around 150 Kashmiri students in NIIT Srinagar while non-Kashmiris from different states are around 1,800.
2) On Friday, the atmosphere at the institute was charged as hundreds of non-local students staged a sit-in outside the director's office protesting against Kashmiri students by shouting slogans like ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, ‘Hindustan Zindabad’ and ‘Pakistan Murdabad’.
The trouble between the student groups at NIT had continued on Friday with local students hoisting green flags and non-locals on the other side flying the tri-color to protest the celebrations over India’s loss by locals.
In retaliation, local students shouted ‘Hum Kya Chahte Azadi’. Police fired tear gas shells and used baton charge to disperse the groups. Students were also seen carrying placards that had “No IIT. No IIM. Only Freedom”
The police have asked the students not to fly the national flag as it causes strong reactions in Jammu and Kashmir, which has its own flag that is used on official buildings and for official functions.
To prevent further escalation of tensions, college authorities closed the campus till Monday.
3) Non-Kashmiri students continued boycotting classes on Monday and a group of them went to the director’s office with a set of demands.
According to reports, the students sought HRD Ministry's intervention and security in the campus.
Apart from a postponement of exams, the students also demanded that they be assessed by non-local faculty to ensure they are fairly marked. They also want to fly the national flag at the campus.
4) After meeting the top administration, the non-Kashmiri students allege that when they marched towards the main gate to talk to the gathered media, the police used force and used batons to stop them from moving further.
5) However, according to Police, they were compelled to use mild force after around 300 non-local students wanted to move out on the main road but were stopped.The police has alleged that they attacked cops with stones.
6) Non-local students have posted pictures on their Facebook page called Save the students of NIT Srinagar showing pictures of students being beaten by police.
7) With the situation being tense,and many non-local students experssing sense of insecuirty, two companies of CRPF and several policemen were deployed in the campus by Tuesday night.
8) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also called up Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and discussed with her the situation at NIT. Singh later tweeted that the CM had assured him that she will look into the issue and take immediate action.
9) The central government sent a two-member panel to NIT Srinagar to assess the situation on Wednesday morning. Jitendra Singh, minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office,said the central officials would "ensure that those students who are apprehensive that they would be at a disadvantage in the exams on account of the university shutdown ...would not suffer on account of the session being disrupted."
10) Social media was abuzz with #NITSrinagar being the top Twitter trend throughout Tuesday night. On Facebook, pages like Save NIT Srinagar Students have come up and videos and photos of the injured students are being posted regularly.
