Central team in NIT as tension mounts

A three-member team of Human Resources Development (HRD) Ministry, which arrived here this morning, held talks with the agitating students to defuse the tension. The team included Sanjeev Sharma, Director (Technical Education) in the HRD ministry, Deputy Director Finance Fazal Mehmood and Chairman of Board of Governors of NIT MJ Zarabi. 

In Surat, HRD Minister Smriti Irani said she had spoken to Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti who assured her that safety of all students will be ensured. The agitating students demanded that some of the NIT officials should be transferred and action taken against them for their alleged “anti-national” activities and that they be allowed to daily hoist national tri-colour at the main gate. 

They also demanded shifting of the campus to Jammu and building of a temple inside campus.

Tension started brewing inside the NIT campus, located at the banks of famous Dal lake, last week after India lost to West Indies in semi-final in the T-20 cricket tournament prompting some local students to rejoice and burst crackers. This was protested by the outstation students resulting in clashes. 

Since March 31 night, the situation inside the campus has been volatile and the authorities had posted personnel from Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB). 

A senior NIT official said that demands like building a temple or a mosque inside an educational institute is impossible. The official said some of the outstation students were mainly using this minor incident as an opportunity to seek migration to their home state.

The protesting students also wanted their papers to be evaluated by non-local teachers to ensure “equality and transparency” during all examinations. 

“Rushing in a team from HRD ministry coupled with the CRPF replacing J&K police speaks volumes about Delhi’s confidence in Mehbooba Mufti,” National Conference leader Omar Abdullah wrote on Twitter.

The incident also drew the attention of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who asked PDPBJP government in the state not to harass the students.