Were made to shout Bharat Mata ki Jay, students say
Security of students beefed up: SSP Noida
Srinagar: Three Kashmiri students were allegedly thrashed by local students in an Indian varsity after they failed to shout anti-Pakistan slogans and were abused, humiliated by them.
Speaking to GNS over phone from International Greater Noida University, one of the students who were forced to shout pro-India slogans, said: “At around 2: 30 am, a group of six local drunk students knocked our door in the hostel. We opened door and they came abusing us. They asked whether you people are Kashmiris and when we answered yes, they started hurling abuses and asked us to shout pro-India slogans.”
“We shouted ‘Hindustan Zindabad’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ only to save ourselves. They asked ‘what is your Nationality’ and we replied with India. Then they asked us to shout ‘Pakistan Murdabad’ and we objected by saying we won’t and they said you people are ‘traitors and terrorists’.
The latest incident comes two month after 67 Kashmir students were expelled from a Meerut university after cheering for Pakistan cricket team during an Asia Cup match against India.
The Kashmiri student said that one of the ‘assailants’ was carrying an iron rod and he assaulted one of the Kashmiri students with the iron rod. “Then they thrashed all of us and after scuffle some other students came and we rescued ourselves,” he said.
“This is not for the first time that Kashmiri students have been harassed by local students. This has happened before also,” he said, adding the drunken students were ‘hunting’ for Kashmiri students on the faithful night. “Before coming in our room, they had gone inside a room of a student who is from Rajouri district. They had also abused him because he too was from Kashmir,” he said.
Another Kashmiri student, insisting not to be named, said that on hearing the noise, they arrived in the room of these three students. “We reached there and we called warden but he didn’t cooperate and instead blamed us for the whole episode.”
He also alleged that police didn’t turn up for their help even after calling them. “We called police but in return we were told that they are busy,” he said.
“We slept till 8:00 am Sunday morning. During the period, some students were continuously abusing us. Then we wake up and packed our bags and called varsity authorities to safeguard us. Till 5:00 pm, nothing was done and we were attacked again by local students. After that, varsity authorities, fearing trouble shifted us to another hostel where we are feeling secure now,” he said.
The students appreciated varsity management for securing them. “They did excellent job and we are thankful to them for helping us. We are feeling absolutely secure in this hostel,” another student told GNS.
There are around 150 Kashmiri students in the varsity, a student said.
While expressing anguish, the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in a series of tweets, said: Let’s beat patriotism in to Kashmiri students, why don’t we. Great way to remove any fear or sense of alienation among Kashmiris. Thugs!!!”
He slammed University authorities and said: “If the universities or state authorities can’t protect Kashmiri students coming there then man up & admit your inability or unwillingness.”
On Omar’s direction, the Resident Commissioner from Delhi visited the varsity to ‘ascertain all the facts before deciding next steps’.
“The Resident Commissioner came here. He assured us every possible help and said we will lodge an FIR,” a student from Kashmir, told GNS, over phone.
Superintendent of Police Greater Noida, Preetinder Singh told GNS that police has beefed up the security of students. “The security is proper. The issue has been resolved amicably by varsity authorities. There was some altercation between students,” he said. He also refuted allegations of Kashmiri students. “Nobody called us. It isn’t true,” he said adding no complaint has been filed so far in the case.
Meanwhile, a Jammu and Kashmir police spokesperson based in Srinagar told GNS over the incident: “We are in constant touch with Noida police higher ups. We have taken issue of students’ security with them and they have assured about their safety in the area.” (GNS)