Riyaz ul Khaliq
SRINAGAR
The banned student politics in University of Kashmir finally found voice in the house of Lawmakers on Tuesday.
As soon as Speaker, Kavinder Gupta, informed Legislative Assembly that Law students from University of Kashmir are present in the house watching the proceedings, Independent Lawmaker, Engineer Rasheed, stood up from the house and ridiculed government for “banning the students union in KU on one hand and inviting students to house on the other hand”.
Notably, students from various Kashmir based schools, colleges and varsities have been regularly coming to J&K Legislature complex since May 25, 2016 to watch the proceedings. The move to allow the students to watch the proceedings has been hailed as it has given students exposure to “dance of democracy inside the houses of Legislature”.
Lashing out at government, Rasheed asked Treasury benches “as what was the fun of inviting students when student politics was banned in KU”.
Student Union – Kashmir University Students Union (KUSU) – was banned in 2009 and there is a blanket ban on its activities inside the KU campuses. Its office was also bulldozed in the dead of the night on May 17, 2010.
The act was brazen, so was the manner in which it was done on the order of then VC Reyaz Punjabi. Officially, this destruction was termed “mandatory for campus development”.
“Naeem Sahab, answer me,” Rasheed asked Education Minister who was silent and gestured Langate Lawmaker towards Speaker.
“The democracy has been murdered in Kashmir and there is no fun to invite students here when you can’t bear them in Universities,” Rasheed yelled in the house.
Rasheed was stopped by MLA Amira Kadal, who was not audible, which further infuriated Langate Lawmaker. “What are you saying,” he shouted at Amira Kadal Lawmaker.
