Kashmiri students in Hyderabad unable to contact families

Hyderabad: Tajamul Islam was in Srinagar when thousands of troops were deployed in the Valley and Article 370 was revoked. He then flew down to Hyderabad to give his viva examination at the Maulana Azad National Urdu University (Manuu) in Hyderabad. Since then, he has been cut off from his family. His parents are unaware of his whereabouts.

He is among the 150 Kashmiri students at Manuu who are worried as they have not heard from their families since the clampdown in J&K. Only a lucky few are able to speak to their families for a minute from public phones. Officials are keeping track of their conversations, students said. A majority of them have not been able to pay their hostel bills as online transactions have been frozen.

“I reached Hyderabad on August 7 for my final viva examination. The department after analysing the situation postponed my exam assuming that I would not be able to make it. I was informed of it when I reached Hyderabad. I have no accommodation arrangements beyond the exam date which has been rescheduled for August 19,” he said.

It is too long to wait, he said. “I need to go back on Id to tell my parents that I am safe because I have been away from home during the announcement. My parents are unaware if I am in Srinagar or Hyderabad,” Tajamul said.

Manuu has agreed to conduct the oral examination for Tajamul whenever he finds it feasible to travel to Hyderabad.

“Callers have been given a standard template on what to speak.  They have been asked not to inform about the prevailing curfew situation,” added Tajamul who will be travelling back on Bakrid.

Hailing from Pulwama district, Imtiyaz, is pursuing his Phd in maths at Manuu. He said that telephone numbers of bureaucrats shared by the authorities as point of contacts were non-operational.

“Since August 5, I have not been able to call my family in Pulwama. News reports speak of curfew.  I am concerned for my family and vice-versa. I tried all the officials’ numbers including that of IPS officers from Anantnag, Baramula, Kargil, Srinagar, none of them is working.”

A large number of students have not been able to pay their hostel fee as online transactions are frozen.

“Many students from Baramula, Bandipura, Pooch cannot go back for Id, students have no money to book their tickets and above all, are uncertain if they can reach their homes given the posse of army deployed,” added Imi-tiyaz.

Manuu scholar Manzoor said he was mentally disturbed at not being able to hear from his family. The PhD scholar who hails from Bandipura district of north Kashmir said, “Allah only knows if my family is alive, I am not mentally fit to focus on my studies here. We have not paid our bills due to the shutdown of the banking facility, I have not cleared my hostel bill of Rs 6,000. More than 100 students are facing the same problem.”

In view of this, the university administration has relaxed the dates of fee payment. Students say that over the last week a police vehicle has been stationed outside the University premises to prevent any kind of protest, and the Kashmiri students are under observation.