- Home
- Front Page
Stop violence against students: Shehla
MAJID NABI. Dated: 4/10/2018 1:49:57 PM
SRINAGAR, April 9: Prominent youth leader and former Jawahar Lal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) Vice-President, Shehla Rashid on Monday asked the government to stop violence against students and instead address the issues confronting them.Addressing her maiden press conference in Srinagar, Shehla said that government should take everyone including students along and address the issues they have been facing.
“Before asking students to join mainstream and shun path of confrontation, government should first give up violence and address issues confronting students in Kashmir. They must take everyone along to build a healthy society,” said Shehla.
She also condemned the use of force by the police against students at various city colleges here who were protesting against killings by government forces in parts of Kashmir valley recently.
Shehla said such tactics will increase alienation among youth and will be forced to adopt the path of confrontation.
“I condemn the force used against students by the police and will certainly hold protest against this issue in Delhi,” she said responding to a query how she would react to the issue being a student leader.
She also condemned in strong words what she said brutal rape and murder of eight years old nomad girl in Kathua in January this year by several persons, allegedly including two Special Police Officers (SPO).
She alleged that right wing party BJP has been striving to paint the incident with communal color and appealed Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to punish the culprit involved in heinous crime sternly.
“Jammu division is being polarised on communal basis. My appeal to the worthy Chief Minister and all communities, be they Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Gujjar is to see Kathua issue from the prism of justice. We do protest on human issues and want that the culprit be punished sternly,” she added.
She also took a jibe at the army for victimising a common voter by tying to the bonnet of their vehicle last year in central Budgam.
Shehla expressed sympathy with Farooq Ahmad Dar, the human shield victim, saying he had gone to cast his vote and not to participate in any protest.
“This is a human issue which violates basic rights and dignity of the people. He was humiliated and we expect that the chief minister will seriously look into this issue,” she claimed.
On SRO-202 pertaining to state government’s new recruitment policy, she said that the state government first introduces flawed policies and then makes them constitutional issues.
“They first introduce these sick policies and then make them election and constitutional issues to earn brownie points. Let them bring some good laws and policies so that people especially youth hail them and avail benefits out of the same,” Shehla said.
She claimed that students have been complaining of many issues confronting them which need to be addressed at an earliest.
“I demand that SRO-202 be revoked immediately and unconditionally. Besides, it has been three years but no KAS exams have been held. I demand that these issues be sorted out on priority,” said the student leader.
Meanwhile former JNUSU Vice-President along with civil society activists assembled at the historic Pratap Park here and held solidarity protest in support of human shield victim Farooq Dar.
“The aim of the gathering here is to express solidarity with Farooq Dar who was brutally tied with the army vehicle. I condemn it and want the issue to be looked at from a human prism. This fact was endorsed by senior army officials during TV debates; hence linking it with terrorism does not make any sense,” said Shehla.
She also criticized BJP Spokesman Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga for creating “communal disharmony and for selling a t-shirt, he has manufactured, to torment the human shield survivor.