J&K students reject offer on Eid celebrations

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, August 13

Officials at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) and those of the Jammu and Kashmir Government witnessed an embarrassing moment when students from J&K spurned an invite for an Eid lunch instead of being able to travel home for the festivities.

Quoting from newspapers highlighting the condition of Kashmiri people in the Valley, Hadif Nisar, president of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association in the UoH, said “they could not accept any offer from the state or Central government to indulge in festivities while their families suffered”.

The Jammu and Kashmir Governor had reportedly deputed a liaison officer who had the permission to spend up to Rs 1 lakh to host a lunch for students from J&K who were studying in universities outside the state.

“We got a message from the Dean (Students Welfare) of the university before Eid that a liaison officer, on behalf of the government, was coming who wanted to have lunch on the campus with the Kashmiri students. We said we don’t want government’s lunch,” he told the media.

Most of them have so far not been able to communicate with their families owing to the shutting down of all communications. The state had deputed a liaison officer who handles issues like tourism and investments for J&K here. This liaison officer reportedly had an informal meeting with a group of the state students over tea yesterday and assured them that the communication would be restored sometime after the Independence Day celebrations.