Sunday, Nov 28, 2004
Sunday, Nov 28, 2004 |
| International | ||||
|
News:
Front Page |
National |
Tamil Nadu |
Andhra Pradesh |
Karnataka |
Kerala |
New Delhi |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | International
By Shujaat Bukhari
Students staging a demonstration on the Azad Kashmir University campus in Muzaffarabad on Saturday soon after a delegation of Indian journalists arrived there. — Photo: Shujaat Bukhari
MUZAFFARABAD, NOV. 27. Demonstrations by dozens of students in favour of "complete Independence from India and Pakistan" today rocked the "Azad Kashmir" University campus during a visit of a group of Indian journalists for an interaction with students and teachers. But the protesters were countered with students who sought Kashmir's accession with Pakistan. The interactive meeting between journalists and students and teachers was disrupted half way as the students sought to put forth their views on Kashmir. The students wanted to know how best could the Kashmir issue be resolved with some of them raising their voice against "Indian atrocities" in Kashmir.
ISI factor
Some students rose from their seats shouting that no free discussion was possible as ISI agents outnumbered the students with the aim of ensuring a one-sided version. "There are many people from agencies. How can we talk," one of them shouted. The hall was filled with sloganeering by the activists of the Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation, an offshoot of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front. The crowd shouting anti-Pakistan and pro-Independence slogans swelled. "One who favours accession [with Pakistan] is a traitor" and "Kashmir will become independent" filled the air for about an hour. They came out of the Library Block and took out a procession accusing both India and Pakistan of "suppressing Kashmiris". Immediately another group, relatively small, appeared on the campus and shouted slogans in favour of Pakistan. It shouted slogans "Kashmir will become part of Pakistan". A heavy police contingent led by the Senior Superintendent of Police, Muzaffarabad Tahir Qureshi, arrived at the spot along with the Deputy Commissioner, Mehmoodul Hassan, and took control of the situation. But the police did not use any force to disperse the protesters. Agitated students assembled in the lawns of the campus with banners supporting Independent Kashmir and shouted slogans against both India and Pakistan. The students later explained that it was not possible for them to promote the "cause for Independent Kashmir" as many students were expelled. "I was expelled in 2001 when I was a student of LLB and the reason is that I espouse the cause of freedom of Kashmir from India and Pakistan which they cannot tolerate," said Shujaat Hussain Kazmi adding that there were 16 such cases. He vowed to continue the struggle against this "highhandedness".
`The best option'
"The best and the only option for Kashmiris is to be free of both India and Pakistan, with both being imperialist in nature having no love at all for the people of the State. They are more interested in the land and the natural resources of Kashmir. They are not bothered about the welfare of the people," said Mohammad Hussain, another student. But many students challenged their view and said that future of Kashmir was safe only with Pakistan. "Pakistan is our benefactor. See the migrants. They are being looked after by Pakistan," said Shaista, another student adding that geographically Kashmir should be part of Pakistan. Many of her classmates echoed her views.
Printer friendly
page
News:
Front Page |
National |
Tamil Nadu |
Andhra Pradesh |
Karnataka |
Kerala |
New Delhi |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
|
|
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | The Hindu eBooks | Home |
Copyright © 2004, The
Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu
|
