Harassment

Jamia Millia, Maula Azad University students stand in solidarity with Kashmiri AMU students

Srinagar: After 1,200 Kashmiri students, currently studying at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), threatened to quit the veracity for being deliberately scandalized, the support in solidarity has come from other academic institutions.

Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) students have expressed serious concern over the targeting of their counterparts in the AMU after an allegation that they arranged a funeral in absentia of slain militant leader Manan Wani, a former scholar of the university.

They have condemned the initiation sedation charges against some of them.

“With deep concern, absolute dismay and unconditional solidarity with Kashmiri students studying at AMU, we the bonafide students of Jamia Millia Islamia (Central University), residents of Jammu and Kashmir, are aghast at the lodging of FIR’s and invoking draconian laws like “Sedition” on the “Kashmiri students at AMU” for assembling at Kennedy hall lawn AMU,” they has said in a statement.

In another case of solidarity, the students of Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) expressed anguish over the colonial charges levelled against Kashmiri students on “fabricated” issues at AMU.

ALSO READ: Kashmir University students protest killing of scholar-turned-militant Mannan Wani

The spokesman said that Kashmiri students who were expressing their concern and peacefully discussing the new unfolding in Kashmir near Kennedy Hall were assaulted by some non-Kashmiri people. “The students exercised restraint and dispersed immediately but to their shock sedition charges were filed against 2 students and show-cause notices were issued to 7 other Kashmiri students which is an outcome of bogus media trial run by TRP hungry jingoistic national media channels,” the spokesperson said.

Earlier, Kashmiri students of the Aligarh Muslim University, in a statement have said that the ‘circumstances of fear at AMU are increasing as we are told that more students are being named and framed with fake charges.’

“The sedition and other relevant charges against two Kashmiri scholars have not been withdrawn, and administration is creating more fear among the students,” the statement said which has been circulated through the Vice President of the Aligarh Muslim University Students’ Union Sajad Subhan Rather.

ALSO READ: AMU row: Punishing students for remembering their former colleague would be a travesty, says Mehbooba

The statement added, “As the campus is turning hypersensitive, and fear is increasing, parents are calling students to return to Kashmir. We are firm on our stand that 1200 students from J&K at AMU will return to Kashmir, in case sedition charges are not withdrawn.”

The letter has been has been sent to the Vice Chancellor, The Alumni Association and the students of the varsity.

The students have also said that on October 17, which is the Sir Syed Day, they will meet the Alumni of the university and share their concerns.

“We will meet the alumni of AMU visiting the university to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan on 16 October and tell them our story of fear and harassment. We are feeling insecure and targeted. We are victimized for being Kashmiris. We reiterate that no law and order problem was created by Kashmiri students at AMU and all the charges leveled against us politically motivated and concocted,” they said in the statement.

ALSO READ: More students might be framed with fake charges, circumstances of fear increasing at AMU, allege Kashmiri students

Meanwhile, while talking to the Free Press Kashmir, one of the students charged with sedition, Abdul Haseeb Mir said that the University is becoming subservient and is acting against its own students.

Recently, two Kashmiri students were suspended by the university for offering funeral prayers in absentia for scholar-turned- militant Mannan Wani. Seven others have been served show cause notices and two students have been slapped with sedition charges.

However, the students denied that they had gathered to offer funeral prayers for Wani.

PDP President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has asked the Government of India to intervene and revoke sedition cases slapped against the students of Aligarh Muslim University.

In a tweet, Mehbooba said that to punish the students for ‘remembering their former colleague who was a victim of relentless violence in Kashmir would a travesty.’ She added that pushing youth to the wall will be counter productive.

Earlier, Mehbooba Mufti, the former Chief Minister of the state said that Mannan’s death was ‘entirely our loss’.

 

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