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Police lathicharge students protesting against forcible eviction, hospitalization

Serohi Nandan. Dated: 11/25/2013 11:36:01 AM

JAMMU, Nov 24: The police on Sunday resorted to mild lathicharge to disperse agitating students protesting against the district administration, police and varsity authorities which last night resorted to forcible eviction and hospitalization of four students of Jammu University observing fast unto death, demanding revocation of their suspension and rustication.
However the bid of civil and JU administration supported by police to end their dharna and hunger strike forcibly proved to be unsuccessful.
Despite their forcible hospitalization and removal of tent from the dharna site, the protesting students M S Bhatti, Talib Hussian, Cathleen Kour and Marvi Slathia refused to undergo treatment at the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital Jammu and Sunday morning were back to dharna site where they resumed their fast unto death.
The fast unto death entered fifth day Sunday although the condition of fasting students deteriorated further. Earlier, the doctors confirmed jaundice, low sugar, low blood pressure and decrease in Haemoglobin among the fasting students.
Yet the students remained adamant to continue their agitation till their demands were not met.
The protesting students supported by Movement for Justice are demanding establishment of Gojri and Pahari Research Centre, permission to take exams, revocation of suspension/rustication of students and withdrawal of all false cases against them.
The forcible eviction and hospitalisation of fasting students by the administration triggered protests by other students and supporters of the cause this morning.
The protesters tried to burn the effigy of the Vice Chancellor Jammu University on the road. However, they were not allowed by the police, which later confiscated the effigy. Mild lathicharge was used on the protesters by the police to disperse them.
A large number of people belonging to various social, political and student organizations assembled at dharna site and castigated the state government and district administration Jammu for taking, what it was described by them as, “total undemocratic and dictatorial steps.”
Addressing the protesters, general secretary of Internationalist Democratic Party (IDP), advocate J A Kazmi accused the Vice Chancellor of Jammu of behaving like a dictator.
“If hardcore criminals have the right to study, then why not the genuine students,” he questioned adding that the varsity administration had given canteens to some criminals who had targeted the peacefully protesting students around two and a half months back and the latter were later rusticated/suspended by the Vice-Chancellor.
He further alleged that the vice-chancellor was not meeting any delegation representing these protesting students.
Gujjar leader Choudhary Nazakat Khatana, while speaking on the occasion, said that under a well-hatched conspiracy protesting students were implicated in false cases. “The demand of establishment of Gojri and Pahari Research Centre is the demand of deprived sections and when this section started peaceful struggle, they were targeted by rustications/suspensions and implication in false cases,” he said.
Criticising the forcible hospitalization of protesters last night, he said it seemed there was no government in state as fundamental rights were being violated with impunity but everyone was mum.
Castigating the adamant approach adopted by Vice Chancellor, senior advocate Ashok Basotra said the demand of the Research Centre was a demand of the people, who did not have any say in this elite system.
“It is need of the hour that we should go to the public by distributing door to door pamphlets and organise public meetings and expose the real character of those resorting to dictatorial attitude,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, CPI leader G S Charak stressed for the privatization of education. “Government is using public money to serve the Multi-National Companies. Upliftment of the language, culture and research on the history of people from lower strata is not on their agenda,” he said.
D. Ashok Manhas of AISF, former SP Sarwar Chouhan, Gujjar Bakerwal Student Association president Shah Mohammed, Ashwani Pardhan, Gujjar leader Choudhary Kasana, social activist Sonu also spoke on the occasion and assured full support to the protesters. They threatened to launch a massive agitation if JU administration did not concede to their demands.
In a release, Movement for Justice questioned if the Vice Chancellor had conducted fair inquiry why he didn’t come out with any report or action against the guilty.