JKSA writes to Amit Shah for urgent inquiry into assaults on 18 Kashmiri students in UP

NEW DELHI: The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) in a letter to union home minister Amit Shah has requested to urgently inquire over the recent assault on 18 Kashmiri students in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh.

In a statement, the National Convenor of the Association, Nasir Khuehami, condemned the act and expressed concern over the recent assault. The association highlighted the increasing violence against Kashmiri students studying outside their state, causing fear and insecurity among them.

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Khuehami explained, " A group of 18 students from J-K were enrolled at a branch of Jawahar Navodaya in Jhansi as part of an integration program. However, Navodaya Vidyalaya in Jhansi witnessed a regrettable incident where class 9th students from Jammu and Kashmir participating in a cultural exchange program became victims of an alleged assault. They were sent back to their home region after being brutally thrashed.”

The incident occurred as a result of an altercation involving students from Jhansi at Navodaya Vidyalaya in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir. According to JKSA, the local students in Jhansi surrounded the hostel where the visiting students from Kashmir were staying and raised slogans against them.

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“The locals demanded that the visitors be handed over to them and resorted to stone pelting. This incident has deeply shaken the peace and harmony among students and requires your urgent intervention," the JKSA national convenor said.

The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association requested the home minister Amit Shah to constitute a high-level committee to oversee the welfare of Kashmiri students and assure them of a secure environment conducive to learning.

According to the association, this incident is the sixth of its kind in the past nine months and shows an increase in violence against Kashmiri students studying outside their state. “ This altercation, coupled with similar incidents in Aligarh Muslim University, Noida, and other areas, underscores the urgent need for immediate and decisive action to address this escalating problem," as per JKSA.

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"The students of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly those from Kashmir, are facing immense difficulties due to relentless harassment and ruthless beatings they have been subjected to on numerous occasions. These incidents have caused severe stress and mental trauma among the students. Despite bringing this matter to the attention of the concerned authorities, no concrete steps have been taken to ensure the safety and security of these students," Khuehami stated.