Srinagar: Srinagar’s National Institute of Technology (NIT) has been closed till further notice following clashes between Kashmiri and outstation students in the campus on Friday over India’s loss in ICC Twenty20 semi-final match.
The celebrations by sections of students, mainly local Kashmiris, over West Indies’ win against India led to clashes, witnessed said.
Kashmiri students alleged that the outstation students thrashed some of their mates and also damaged the college infrastructure to vent their anger, but the latter claimed that they were attacked as the localites objected to their openly rejoicing over India’s defeat in the T20 semi-final.
The police and CRPF, who were brought in by the authorities, had to resort to tear gas canisters to quell the protests by local students seeking action against the outstation students.
An NIT official said that a group of local students was cheering the West Indies victory inside the campus but another group comprising of non-locals objected to it and the initial verbal brawl led to physical clash between the two sides.
The warring students attacked each other and damaged eachother's laptops and other belongings.
Following the brawl, the Kashmiri students staged a protest inside the campus and demanded action against the ‘goons’.
The outstation students complained for their safety and sought intervention of the Central government.
During the clashes between protesting students, police and CRPF who used batons and tear gas shells, several people, mainly students were injured, witnesses said.
Prof T A Mir, registrar of NIT Srinagar, said that the institute has been closed indefinitely in view of the prevailing indiscipline created by students at the campus and asked the students to vacate the hostels immediately.
“The decision has been taken due to the denial by the students to maintain discipline even after repeated requests by the Institute (authorities) as well as the local administration,” he said in an order issued on Friday.
Students of Kashmir University also took to the streets to celebrate Windies’ win on at the Hazratbal area of the summer capital, filling the air with chants of ‘Long live Pakistan’. Celebrations were also held in other parts of the Valley, which went on till midnight.
This had more to do with Pakistani team’s poor performance during the series particularly it’s suffering defeat at the hands of arch-rival India at Eden Gardens than Thursday’s match itself. Highly disappointed at it, Pakistan’s fans in Kashmir on Thursday night took recourse to give vent to sentiments by chanting pro-Pakistan slogans and lightning fireworks they had actually purchased days ago in the anticipation that their favourite team will wrest T20 trophy. Many people also took to the social networking sites to rejoice.
Independent MLA and leader of regional Awami Itehad Party, Sheikh Abdur Rashid, said in a statement that New Delhi should introspect and find answers that “while whole India was mourning India’s defeat in T20 World Cup semi final why were Kashmiris celebrating India’s defeat on streets and social media”.
He said the reaction to West Indies’ victory on the streets of Kashmir “has yet again proved that Jammu and Kashmir issue is not a problem of governance, Pakistan’s insurgency, providing packages or resolving unemployment problem but a deep rooted political problem which needs a genuine political solution”.
He also said, “It is now proven beyond doubt that killing militants, slapping PSA on youth, calling AFSPA a holy book, disgracing Kashmiri leadership, relocating few army camps, providing financial packages, detaining hundreds of Kashmiris in and outside J&K jails and harassing Kashmiri students and traders outside J&K has not helped in resolving the dispute but complicated the problem further”.
He said that celebrating India’s defeat in a cricket match should be an eye opener for every good Indian and they must read writing on the wall that with every day the distance between New Delhi and Srinagar deepens further”.
