JKSA seeks Andhra CM's intervention over 'Ramzan meal denial' in govt nursing college

KURNOOL: The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has written to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu seeking urgent intervention over alleged harassment, denial of Ramzan meal facilities and restrictions on hijab for Kashmiri students at the Government College of Nursing in Kurnool.

The association also marked its complaint to Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, alleging that 13 Muslim students from Jammu and Kashmir enrolled under the Prime Minister's Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) were being denied adequate Sehri (pre-dawn meal) and Iftar (fast-breaking meal at sunset) and were facing restrictions on receiving food deliveries during late hours.

"We (JKSA) have written to Naidu seeking urgent intervention over the harassment of Kashmiri students at the Government College of Nursing in Kurnool, including denial of Ramzan meal facilities and restrictions on hijab, and we believe the management is attempting to hush up the issue," JKSA National convenor Nasir Khuehami told PTI.

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The association claimed Kashmiri students were singled out and subjected to verbal abuse, including being called "terrorists, senseless, idiots, and dumb." According to JKSA, the students alleged that their requests for suitable food during Ramzan were trivialised and that deliveries ordered after 10 pm were stopped at the college gate, leaving them without meals.

JKSA: Asked to remove hijab, students allege

The students were allegedly asked to remove their hijab , which JKSA termed a violation of fundamental religious freedom. Such conduct created fear, insecurity and mental distress among students, adversely affecting academic performance, overall well-being and their sense of safety, said Khuehami.

The dispute escalated following disagreements with the hostel mess over the quality of food, including demands for chapatis and other items, with students alleging that they had not been receiving proper meals for the past two weeks.

JKSA further alleged that the college administration told the students that if they were so inclined toward religious observance, they should not have joined the college. Meanwhile, principal of the government college of nursing in Kurnool, Shanthi Bhavani, responding to the allegations, said that students of all religions are treated equally and allowed to observe their respective practices and denied allegations of discrimination and termed the claims unfounded.

"There is no harassment because we are concentrating only on academics and treating all students equally," said Bhavani.

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Restricted food deliveries in girls' hostel

The institution has over 670 students, including nearly 300 hostel residents, of whom 20 are from Jammu and Kashmir, and 13 of them (J&K students) reside in the hostel, she said. The principal said special arrangements were permitted during Ramzan, including allowing early morning food between 3 am and 4 am, and added that the mess contractor had agreed to prepare special items on request, subject to additional charges.

She clarified that restrictions were imposed only on food deliveries beyond 9 pm due to security concerns in the girls' hostel and to prevent disturbance to other students. Bhavani further expressed concern that consuming outside food at midnight could lead to health complications, for which the administration would be held responsible.

JKSA has sought a time-bound inquiry into the matter and urged the state government to ensure the protection of fundamental rights and the dignity of the students.