Amid tension, students reach Kashmir for Eid festivities

Vikram Sharma

Tribune News Service 

Jammu, August 10

Students from different parts of the country are reaching Jammu and Kashmir to celebrate Eid with their families, particularly in the Valley.

Buses coming from Delhi, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab are seen fully booked with most of the travellers being young Muslim students studying in different states.

“From Jammu, we will board other transport like tempo-travellers, minibuses or cabs to reach Srinagar. We want to be with our parents and relatives to celebrate Eid,” said Muddasar Jamil, a student at a Delhi college and resident of Bandipora, Kashmir.

Though he kept his opinion reserved on the recent abrogation of Article 370 bringing any harm or injustice to the state, he said the decision of the Central government was abrupt and unwarranted.

“There could have been a series of steps to take the people of the state into confidence on 370. Everyone knew that the present BJP government had promised this in its election manifesto but it has many other development agendas which it never implemented so abruptly,” he said.

Similar views came from Shahid Islam, 24, a student at a Chandigarh college who reached Jammu today through a bus as he failed to get a train ticket.

Islam said a phobia had got generated among people everywhere which had brought the chaos. “Families at home are worried about us and want us to be with them. We have taken this opportunity on Eid to be with our families,” Islam said.

A majority students are of the view that the abrupt decision of abrogation of Article 370 has brought uncertainty among the masses which is unlikely to go soon.

“Earlier also the Valley was controlled by security forces while voices of dissent refused to die. It is unlikely that by imposing a decision forcibly, the ideological base in the Valley will change,” said another student.