How India's World T20 semi-final defeat led to ongoing student violence at NIT Srinagar campus
The HRD Ministry has decided to send a two-member team for inspection to the NIT Srinagar campus, which has made the headlines following clashes among students over the Indian cricket team's loss to the West Indies in the T20 World Cup last week.
"The Ministry has decided to send a two-member team comprising a director and a deputy secretary rank officer, who will listen to the students there and submit a report," a senior official said.
The campus witnessed tension and unrest again on Tuesday, which was much similar to the scene of last week's clash. The situation went to an extent that outstation students expressed a sense of insecurity and attempted to leave the campus. This led to a confrontation with the police.
Outstation students cry foul
Hundreds of non-local students alleged that the state police kicked and punched them when they tried to walk out of the institute premises. The non-local students have been boycotting classes since Monday after clashes with Kashmiri students who celebrated the West Indies’ victory over India in the World T20 semi-final match on March 31.
This led to tension in the institute with the non-locals alleging “anti-national” sentiment among the Kashmiris.
With the situation gradually getting tense and out of control, CRPF was deployed last night at the campus. Jammu and Kashmir government assured full security to the students from other states studying at NIT.
Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister, also called up Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and discussed the situation at NIT.
Last Friday, the campus had witnessed clashes between local and outstation students over India's defeat in the semi-final match in the World T20 tournament. The NIT suspended class work and ordered the evacuation of hostels following the clash between Kashmiri and non-Kashmiri students.
Accessing that the tension to have died down, the authorities then decided to reopen the institute on Tuesday.
"We take responsibility for all the students of the country studying in NIT. We have put in place all the measures," the deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh had said.
The administration has held meeting with the NIT students to resolve the issue, Singh said, adding SSP Srinagar is camping in the area to ensure peace. He said the outstation students are demanding security and postponement of exams.
"Director of NIT has said that the demands have been accepted," he said.