22 students were arrested for protesting outside a college demanding expulsion of Kashmiri students in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun, police said on Tuesday, as per a PTI report.
They were arrested outside the Uttaranchal College of Science and Technology on Sahastradhara Road on Monday after they shouted slogans demanding expulsion of Kashmiri students, Dehradun’s Senior Superintendent of Police Nivedita Kukreti was quoted as having said in the report.
Following the February 14 attack on a CRPF convoy in Lethpora area along the Srinagar-Jammu highway in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district which killed 49 CRPF personnel, a series of protests rocked Dehradun against Kashmiri students.
Initially, the management of two city colleges had announced that they would not admit Kashmiri students in the future following the protests. However, PTI reported Anil Saini, Chairman of Alpine College of Management and Technology, one of the two colleges, saying that they were forced to make the announcement under pressure, but have taken no such decisions.
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The second institute had also echoed their stance along similar lines.
Meanwhile, authorities have assured the full safety and security of the students from Jammu and Kashmir, according to the report.
The Inspector-General of Police or IG of Garhwal range, Ajay Rautela, said that the Kashmiri students are completely safe and they should not worry, the report said.
Police patrolling in Premnagar area has been stepped up, where most Kashmiris live. He also appealed to people to maintain calm.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has also set up a helpline for students with designated officers appointed to take care of those in the city.
“There have been numerous calls from students of different colleges including Baba Farid Institute of Tech, Alpine Institute, Dolphin Institute, SBS Medical College and so on so forth,” a Jammu and Kashmir government spokesman said on Monday, as per the report.
Militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) claimed responsibility of the February 14 attack.
Following the news of the attack, Kashmiris living in India have been facing xenophobia, hate, terminations and suspensions.
A mob threatened to set a Dehradun college on fire if the institute didn’t terminate a Kashmiri dean. Abid Kuchay, college Dean of the Alpine Institute has been terminated.
“The college asked for it. I agreed for the betterment of the college,” he said. Abid’s resignation has been asked for his role of getting Kashmir students admitted in the college.
Moreover, four Kashmiri students were suspended on Saturday by the National Institute of Medical Science (NIMS), Rajasthan for sharing a WhatsApp status in which they were allegedly celebrating the Pulwama attack which left 49 CRPF personnel dead.
The second-year students — Talveen Manzoor, Iqra, Zohra Nazir and Uzma Nazir — were suspended soon after they shared as a WhatsApp status allegedly celebrating the killings of the CRPF personnel in the attack
Earlier, Shridev Suman Subharti University in Dehradun suspended a Kashmiri student after his alleged WhatsApp chat regarding the Pulwama attack went viral.
Meanwhile, Aligarh Muslim University also suspended a Kashmiri student over a ‘highly objectionable tweet’.
Omar Saleem Peerzada, AMU PRO said: “We have come to know of the highly objectionable tweet. Taking immediate cognizance the student has been suspended by the university administration,” he said.
Moreover, 15-20 Kashmiri female students had locked themselves in a hostel room in Dehradun after a mob surrounded the campus area, demanding the management to ‘throw them out of their rooms’.
Shazia Hamid, one of the students, told Free Press Kashmir that she and other Kashmiri female students, fearing the mob, have locked themselves in a room.
Following Free Press Kashmir’s news story the women were provided safety by the Dehradun police who dispersed the crowd peacefully.
Earlier, former chief minister Omar Abdullah had appealed to the Home Minister of India Rajnath Singh to direct all state governments to take ‘special care of areas where Kashmiris as residing or studying.’
Following the reports of attacks on Kashmiris in various parts of India, Government of India on Saturday asked all the states to ensure safety and security of the students and people from Jammu and Kashmir.
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