Attacks ‘institutionalised harassment’, says Omar Abdullah

Former chief minister and National Conference (NC) working president Omar Abdullah on Wednesday condemned the reported profiling and alleged harassment of students from Jammu and Kashmir in Kolkata and at Mewar University in Rajasthan. He said the onus is on the Centre and, in particular, the state governments “to halt this apparently institutionalised policy of profiling students from J&K on one pretext or the other”.

Mr Abdullah, while referring to an incident in which a group of four Kashmiri students were allegedly beaten up over rumours that they were cooking beef in Mewar university in Chittorgarh, said, “You can’t arrest students on the suspicion or allegation of consuming beef and then send the meat for forensic tests rather than arresting the culprits who beat these students up.” He added that students from J&K “cannot be mistreated and harassed in such a brazen fashion and I demand the Central government should direct all state governments to ensure not a single student from J&K feels unsafe, harassed and discriminated against”.

On Tuesday, Mr Abdullah, in the backdrop of reports that Kashmiri students studying in Kolkata are under police radar, sought West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s intervention. “Dear @MamataOfficial, can you please look into this police order Info gathering shouldn’t become harassment,” he tweeted. He also drew the attention of Trinamul Congress MP Derek O’Brien on the issue. “Why are these students being singled out @quizderek Police ask Kolkata colleges to give details of J&K students,” he said in another tweet.

Ms. Banerjee in her response tweeted, “@abdullah_omar Issue related to MHA. But let me assure you, people of J&K are welcome. We assure them peace of mind to enjoy beautiful Bengal.”

Mr. Abdullah said on Wednesday that he took this issue up with the WB Chief Minister who has assured him that her government is committed to the safety of Kashmiri students in the State. “I’ve also brought this to the notice of the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ms. Vasundhra Raje and have asked her why our students have been arrested based on mere allegations after being beaten up and assaulted”, Mr. Abdullah said. The NC leader alleged that it had become clear beyond any doubt that the PDP-BJP government had withheld flood relief and development funds for ten months to persecute the people of Jammu and Kashmir “who have overwhelmingly rejected this failed alliance of opportunism”. He said, “The Governor’s administration has released a certain amount of money for flood victims, has undertaken dredging of Jehlum River on a war-footing and resumed work on stalled developmental projects that were initiated before the PDP-BJP alliance took over”. He added, “Since there was no new inflow of funds from New Delhi, it goes on the prove that the PDP-BJP government had deliberately suffocated the State, depriving people of development and relief”. He also said the PDP-BJP government’s ‘biggest indictment’ was the complete indifference of the people towards this never-ending government formation theatrical performance between PDP and BJP. “People of the State have stopped wondering and stopped talking about government formation. This is not only a serious and loud indictment of the PDP-BJP alliance and its failed government but it also poses a risk to the future of institutional democracy in a State like Jammu and Kashmir that has been ravaged by political turmoil and uncertainty and where cynicism has long-term consequences,” he asserted. Mr. Abdllah claimed that the people of the State despite odds voted in large numbers and “today they stand disillusioned and disenchanted while PDP and BJP continue to deprive the State of an elected government despite being in an alliance they term sacred”.