Early Times Report
srinagar, Aug 23: With uncertainty over resumption of educational activities continues, there is a growing demand of shifting the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar outside the Valley, as non-locals are fearing for their security.
Around 2500 non-local students of NIT Srinagar who had left the Valley are refusing to return back to the campus and have been mounting pressure on the centre's Human Resource Department either "shift the NIT Srinagar outside Kashmir or assign them another campus".
"We won't know whether the educational activities will be resumed here or not. The non-locals are refusing to join here," a source said.
"This Institute is always being politicized. The non-locals have always being opposing any anti-national activity here while some are supporting anti-nationals here," the source said.
He said due to refusal of non-local students to return back, many placements companies may show unwillingness to make the recruitment process of NIT students.
"How can one feel secure at the NIT campus when several politicians have been playing politics here for last several years? Police in 2016 also made lathi-charge on the non-locals who opposed raising of anti-national slogans," he added.
A senior official of the NIT, said many non-local students have written to the HRD ministry that they won't return to the Valley.
"These students have been demanding shifting of NIT outside Kashmir probably in Jammu. They said they feel insecure and won't return under the present circumstances," the source said.
The NIT has been in news for several reasons for the last few years," the official said.
In April 2016, a similar demand was made when there was a scuffle between non-locals and locals over a cricket match.
Meanwhile, a senior official said students had gone on semester break. "But then they could not come due to the unrest. So far they have not returned back as teaching activities have not been resumed yet," the official said.
However, he expressed ignorance over the demand of non-local students of shifting NIT outside Kashmir. Presently, he said there are some PHD scholars staying inside the campus.
NIT was established as a Regional Engineering College in 1960, the majority of the students were from the Kashmir Valley. In 2003, REC, Srinagar, was converted into an NIT. |
