UP college discrimination: Four Kashimiri students expelled from hostel

Asked to leave hostel on recommendation of 12-member disciplinary committee after riot-like situation on campus.

NEW DELHI:

Newspapers in Kashmir are awash with reports about four Kashmiri students, who were beaten up in an Uttar Pradesh (UP) college by their colleagues and later expelled from their hostel.

Peer Umair, Bilal Ahmad, Adil Nabi and Dilawar Javid – all from Kashmir – are studying for a bachelor’s degree in business administration (BBA) and technology (B-Tech) at HR Institute of Engineering and Technology in Ghaziabad, UP.

However, they have been asked to leave the hostel on the recommendation of a 12-member disciplinary committee after a riot-like situation emerged in the campus. The students, however, continue to be members of the college.

“The committee has expelled nine students for Tuesday’s incident. Of the expelled students, four are from Kashmir. Besides, the institute has also warned two other Kashmiri students of strict action if they are found involved in such practices in future,” said an official of the institute, requesting anonymity.

It all started when a student started shouting after he got an electric shock while talking a bath in the washroom of the hostel. Other boys came out of their rooms and asked why he was disturbing them while they were studying. He was then slapped and others joined the fight.  Apparently the disciplinary committee was unable to decide who was at fault and all the students were asked to leave the hostel. There are 100 Kashmiri students staying in the hostel. The police have beefed up security in and around the institute to avoid any untoward incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2014.