Kashmir Students in UoH rejects lunch invitation for Eid celebrations

Hyderabad : For the 150 Kashmiri students studying at the Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) in Hyderabad, Eid-ul-Adha (Bakri-Eid) was a simple lunch contrary to the Eid celebrations. Instead, lunch was organised in the hostel dining hall by a group of students’. Meanwhile at the Hyderabad Central University (UoH), the Kashmiri students union rejected the invite for lunch put forward by a liaison officer appointed by the Central government.

The dissent and disappointment among students continues because August 12, marks eight days since all communications were clampdown in the valley. This comes after the Centre abrogated Article 370 and its stem 35A. Students refute the claims that certain service providers relaxed communication network on Eid.

Imitiyaz who is from the Pulwama district of J&K and is pursuing his PhD in Mathematics at MANUU said, “Since August 5 I have no communication with my family. There is a complete blackout. I can produce evidence that all the numbers even that of bureaucrats shared have been inoperative for the last eight days. The narrative of the government that communications has been relaxed is wrong. My family lives in a remote village in Pulwama, only Allah knows if they are safe and alive.”

Kashmiri natives currently in Hyderabad were hoping that they would be able to speak to their parents on Bakri-Eid. “In the last week a few who were lucky were able to speak to their families for a minute or two. The district offices in J&K are witnessing long queues and callers have been given a specific template on what must be spoken. People have been barred from exposing the curfew situation. It would have been great relief if we had got a chance to exchange Eid wishes,” said Mudasir Nazir who is pursuing his Ph.D in English at the Urdu University.

Former MANNU student leader Tajamul Islam, who managed to slip out of Srinagar a day after the Centre scrapped Article 370 amidst a posse of security, flew back to Srinagar on Bakr-Eid. Tajamul had come to Hyderabad to attend his final viva Ph.D examination.

Kashmiri students studying in Hyderabad Central University (UoH) celebrated Bakri-Eid by attending prayers and then shared a simple meal.

The students union had rejected the invite from the government. Student leader Hadif Sarif said, “The communication blockade and strict restrictions in Kashmir enter the eight day today. By not allowing us to communicate with our families even on the occasion of Eid, the Indian administration has beaten its own record of oppression and human rights violations in the Kashmir valley. The blood of Kashmiris’ will haunt those, who have been celebrating this oppression on us, for decades to come.”

Acceptance of the government’s invitation would be a betrayal and insult to the resistance of our fellow Kashmiris who have been denied their basic human rights. We, the students at UoH have therefore unanimously decided to reject this invitation, he added.