Muhammad Raafi
SRINAGAR
The authorities of the University of Kashmir Tuesday “thwarted” the seminar titled: “Sexual Violence: India’s Weapon of War in Kashmir”, students of the varsity said.
The seminar was organized by the students of the varsity in remembrance of slain Asiya and Neelofar of Shopian.
One of the students, while speaking to Kashmir Life, said, “We had been promoting the event on social media for last couple of days. We even distributed the pamphlets in and outside the varsity to encourage mass participation of people in the event.”
However, he alleged, “The students who were involved in it were threatened by the varsity authorities and even local police.”
The students said that their parents were also called by the university authorities. “But it didn’t deter us. We kept campaigning for the event.”
However, the students said, “this morning the VC circulated a notice to the departments stating that all the students must be in their departments and the VC may inspect them anytime.” “It was to keep the students away from the event,” they claimed.
“It was a dirty tactic of the VC,” said an angry student.
Later, the students said that a large contingent of police and proctorial staff “cordoned” the venue, Iqbal Library Lawn, and asked the students who had assembly there to leave.
“We were told that there were VVIP visit today,” another student said, “The CM was scheduled to felicitate the recent IAS qualifiers in the varsity,” he added.
However, “later the students assembled in the lawn for 10 minutes and were forced to leave”.
