Extremism
8 Kashmiris return to Dehradun college, find their accommodations vandalized
Srinagar: Properties of at least 8 Kashmiris students studying at the BFIT College, Dehradun-who returned to the valley recently in the aftermath of the Pulwama suicide attack last month-are missing after “rightwing extremists” allegedly vandalized their rented room in the vicinity of the institution, the students said, reported Kashmir Reader.
Mohammad Asif, who is pursuing Master’s in Geography at the college, told Reader over phone that the day they left for the valley, eight of them had kept their belongings inside a rented room at a flat in the vicinity of the college.
“When we returned to the room a couple of days back, the lock had been broken. Almost all our stuff including a laptop and other documents has been taken,” he said.
While some of the students returned to the college from the valley on Tuesday, others reached there on Wednesday.
One of the students said that some of their items “have been dumped inside the washroom” of the flat. “None of the items is in place,” he added.
The students alleged that the landlord of the flat, who they said lives at a distance from the place, “has given a free hand to the rightwing goons to vandalise the room” after they returned to the valley.
Despite lodging a complaint, the local police, the students alleged, “is showing leniency as the landlord himself is a cop”.
Kashmiris across the country were threatened and attacked in the aftermath of Pulwama attack which killed over 40 CRPF japans. The Kashmiri suicide bomber, Adil Ahmad Dar, was affiliated to Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Recently, Prime Minister of India, after two Kashmiri traders were attacked by right wing goons in Lucknow, called the attackers ‘crazy people.’
Earlier, PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti while reacting over beating of Kashmiri fruit sellers in Lucknow said after making Kashmiris feel like criminals, there should be no surprise when young men are taken under the wings of terror groups.
National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah said that thrashing Kashmiris and selling the idea of ‘Atoot Ang’ (inseparable part) will not fly.
In the video, while one of the Kashmiri men is seen crying as he is being beaten with sticks, the other is seen being asked to produce his identity card after some locals came to the rescue and stopped the attackers from further thrashing.
One of the assaulters, Himanshu Awasthi, self-proclaimed “former BJP politician” and member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, posted videos and photos on his Facebook profile boasting about thrashing Kashmiris on the Daligunj Bridge in Lucknow.
Lucknow Police later said in a tweet that a case has been registered against the accused and necessary action is being taken.
n one incident, two Dehradun colleges had given in writing that they will not admit any more Kashmiris students.
A doctor from Kashmir living in Kolkata was asked to leave or face ‘dire consequences’ following the Pulwama attack on a CRPF bus on Jammu- Kashmir highway that killed 49 personnel.
The doctor, who did not wish to be named, said some men gathered outside his residence and threatened to harm his daughter unless he “returned to Pakistan”.
A mob had also threatened to set a Dehradun college on fire if the institute didn’t terminate a Kashmiri dean. Abid Kuchay.
“The college asked for it. I agreed for the betterment of the college,” he had said. Abid’s resignation has been asked for his role of getting Kashmir students admitted in the college.
Moreover, four Kashmiri students were suspended by the National Institute of Medical Science (NIMS), Rajasthan. 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.
Later, all four were charged with sedition.
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.
In one of the worst incidents, 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, had 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 had asked all the states to ensure safety and security of the students and people from Jammu and Kashmir.
