Pulwama aftermath: Two Dehradun colleges say no to Kashmiris students

NEW DELHI: After right-wing groups protested on Friday, at least two institutes in Uttarakhand capital have stated that they will not admit any Kashmiri student in the upcoming session.

According to The Indian Express, the two colleges in Dehradun -Baba Farid Institute of Technology (BFIT) and Alpine College of Management and Technology have given an undertaking to the students’ Union of the Dehradun-based DAV PG College, along with members of the Bajrang Dal, ABVP and VHP, that no student from Kashmir will be admitted in the new academic session.

Dr Aslam Siddiqui, principal of BFIT, wrote on Friday, “Students’ Union president, we assure you that if any Kashmiri student is found engaged in any anti-national activity, then the student will be expelled from the institute.”

“Nae satra mein kisi bhi Kashmiri chhatra ko daakhila nahi diya jaega (no new Kashmiri student will be admitted in the upcoming session),” the letter further stated.

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“Around 400-500 people from ABVP, VHP, and Bajrang Dal protested in front of the institute between 1 pm and 5pm. They asked us to assure them that all the Kashmiri students would be expelled from BFIT. I tried explaining that expelling students mid-term would affect their careers. Finally, keeping in mind the safety of the Kashmiri students, I had to give in writing that we won’t accept any Kashmiri student from the next session,” Siddiqui told Indian Express.

Kashmiris working, studying and living across India have been facing hate, ostracisation and violence in the wake of Pulwama terrorist attack on the Indian armed forces in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed and dozens left critically injured.