NIT administration tries to defuse tension

Even as the stalemate between the administration of the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Srinagar, and the college’s outstation students entered its seventh day on Thursday, the administration offered the agitating students separate exams and a safe passage home.

While a State-level inquiry panel has been instituted to probe the alleged baton-charge on students in the campus after a campus brawl over a cricket match on March 31, the police released a video of students who rioted and damaged public property. Sources said the police had shown the video to Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, who flew to Srinagar on Thursday morning. Sources said about 20 students had been identified.

“Situation is being closely monitored. All the issues will be resolved soon. An inquiry committee has been asked to submit its report within 15 days to establish the sequence of events and fix responsibility,” State Education Minister Nayeem Akhtar told

The Hindu .

The outstation students, many of whom sung the national anthem and shouted ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ during the day, continued to demand that they be allowed to unfurl the Tricolour and called for “action against the NIT staff and police officials.”

MHRD team meets local students

Meanwhile, a two-member team from the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) met the local students whose celebration of India’s defeat to the West Indies in the World T20 cricket semi-final triggered the clashes. They told the team that “they have no issues with the outstation students.” But, “presence of central security or armed security forces of any type,” the students told the delegates, “will only make the campus vulnerable to disturbance owing to political events outside college.”

They told the delegates that no untoward incidents took place even during the 2008 and 2010 street uprisings. “The local brethren celebrate and will continue to celebrate Holi, Diwali, and every occasion with them. In fact, we have a very memorable photograph of one of the local students celebrating Diwali, complete with fire-crackers,” the students told the MHRD.

Both the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party, which assured security to the outstation students, maintained “well-meaning distance” from the issue by restraining from issuing any provocative statements.

Several separatists and leading Srinagar-based traders’ bodies have assured “safety to outstation students.” But, in Jammu, several protests were held against the PDP-BJP government for its “mishandling” of the issue. A bandh was called in Jammu. The Jammu police are also probing allegations by students from Valley that they were being harassed after the NIT episode.