The term national and anti-national is taking high pich in India, first in Delhi and now at Jammu and Kashmir. From last 6 days, and yesterday tension rose at NIT here with outstation students today making a slew of demands, including shifting the institute out of Kashmir and action against the policemen involved in lathicharge, as an HRD team rushed here from Delhi to resolve the conflicts.
Seeking the tension over lathicharge at NIT, Delhi HRD sent 3 member of team including Sanjeev Sharma, Director (Technical Education) in the ministry, Deputy Director Finance Fazal Mehmood and Chairman of Board of Governors of NIT M J Zarabi. And met with students who were expressing a sense of insecurity at the campus.
The developments at the prestigious engineering institute also triggered politicking even as the state government assured that safety will be ensured for the students hailing from other states at the campus where CRPF has been deployed to instill a sense of security. "Our first demand is that the NIT be shifted from here. We want to go home first and we will go wherever you shift us," the students told the HRD Ministry team at the campus. "What J&K police has done, you have seen the videos. We want strict action be taken against them including the DSP Sajad. We also demand the DSP change his statement in which he has said that students hurled stones at police," said a student, who was speaking on behalf of the rest. They said some of the staff members of NIT should resign so that "they do not play with anyone student's career." In Surat, HRD Minister Smriti Irani said she had spoken to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti who assured her that safety of all students will be ensured. "My officers are in touch with the agitating students and their family members. One or two students said they wanted to go back home for which my ministry is making arrangements," she said. She added "HRD officers are present in the campus. We have interacted with around 800 students. We have asked that all students who are worried should tell us, so that we can assist them”.