Enhanced verification leaves students from Kashmir worried in city

Aparna Banerji
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, October 11

While the Jalandhar police are yet to determine even the nature of the explosive material found in the raids carried out here in the wee hours of yesterday, the issue has already started to take a political colour with various political parties launching a tirade against the CT Group of Institutions, on whose Shahpur campus, the raid was conducted.

Students from the valley are apprehensive after stepping up of student verification and indication of impending action at other ‘probable’ terror links among students in the city.

Over 300 Kashmiri students have been studying at various institutions of the CT Group alone. Other private establishments running a chain of institutions in the city, including Lovely Professional University, and St Soldier group also have a sizeable number of students from Kashmir.

Sources at the institutions said: “With more stringent verification of out-of-state students ordered by the police, we will now have to be careful as we cannot single out Kashmir students. Anti-social elements could be anywhere. It is going to be an uphill task.”

While verification were already stepped up at the CT institutions as well, the institute authorities said several students being frisked already raised objections today. Meanwhile, Aadhaar cards of outside-of-state students were also sought for re-verification on the CT campus today.

With respect to Kashmir students, due to the unrest in the valley, hundreds of Kashmir students have been directly impacted by the police raids as Punjab had hitherto been considered a safe educational haven by the students from the valley.

However, with the students’ arrest and indication of future crackdowns by the police, students said the recent action might change the scenario.

A Kashmir student said: “It’s not just about the arrests. It’s also about rumours. Strange connections and labels are being drawn with the arrests. Since yesterday, we are being subjected to uncomfortable stares.”

No reason for students to be apprehensive: Bhullar

Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said: “Only students involved in terror activities have been arrested. There is no reason for any of the other students to be apprehensive. We will inform the future course of investigation in due time.”

Meanwhile, SAD leader HS Walia today held a press conference declaring that he would move the High Court if proper action is not initiated against the CT Institutions. He questioned how the arms made way into the campus right under the police’s nose.