Kishtwar awaits varsity on pattern of Katra, Rajouri

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 20

Even as the far-off area of Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir has the potential of having a university on the name of two most revered Muslim shrines of Shah Farid-ud-Din Baghdadi and Shah Asrar, politicians and leaders of the area have failed to act positively.

The management committee of these shrines, under the auqaf committee, and a family which in the past was managing the affair of these shrines, have been caught in a legal battle which is hindering the process.

Since long, there has been a plan of diverting the money being received by these shrines in the education sector but it couldn’t happen.

On the pattern of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University at Katra and Baba Ghluam Shah Badshah University at Rajouri, there is a great potential for opening of a university on the name of the revered shrines of Shah Farid-ud-Din Baghdadi and Shah Asrar but so far, nothing has been done.

The university could cater to the demand of three districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban and will ease the load on other universities besides expanding the educational reach of the state.

Talking to The Tribune, MLC Firdous Tak said, “It was the dream of late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed to have a full-fledged university in the name of these shrines. At present, there are two educational institutes, a higher secondary school and a college being run by the management committee but we want that this college should be upgraded to the level of university but the case has been caught in a legal battle in the Supreme Court. We hope that soon, it will be reality.”

Students of these three districts have to move out to Jammu, Srinagar or New Delhi for higher education as they don’t have the facility available at their doorstep. Opening a university in Kishtwar will cater to their needs.