Srinagar: The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar has been closed for early winter vacations in the aftermath of unrest among the students triggered by a ‘blasphemous’ social media post.
The management of the institute located in Srinagar’s Hazratbal area has instructed all students to vacate hostels with immediate effect. “Pursuant to declaration of winter vacation for students w.e.f. 30.11.2023 …all hostel boarders (boys and girls) are instructed to vacate the hostels with immediate effect”, reads a circular signed by the Dean Students Welfare.
The campus had earlier this week witnessed protests by a vast majority of students over the posting of “blasphemous” material online by a non-local student. The protesting students were demanding the arrest of the “culprit” for “hurting the religious sentiments of 1.8 billion Muslims by posting material online insulting our beloved Prophet Muhammad.”
They were angry also over the authorities, instead of handing him over to the police to face the law, “giving him safe passage” by sending him home overnight. The NIA official had said that the student had been sent home on leave. Local media reports quoting unnamed NIT officials said that he has been rusticated and barred from appearing in the next semester examination.
On Wednesday, a notification issued by the Registrar, Atikur Rehman, said all academic activities, including classes, examinations, and administrative work, will remain suspended till further orders. The same day, protests spread spatially in the Kashmiri capital when students of various educational institutions sat on dharna and marched on the campuses. A silent protest was also held at Srinagar’s Mushtaq Press Enclave.
Various political and religious organisations also condemned the incident and sought legal action against the perpetrator.
The police has booked the non-local student for “uploading sensitive content against religious sentiments of a particular community” and a case FIR has been registered against him at Srinagar’s Nigeen Police Stations under sections 295A, 153 and 153A of the Indian Penal Code.
Amid rising tensions, the class work at Srinagar’s Islamia College of Science and Commerce was also suspended whereas strong contingents of police were early Thursday deployed outside various colleges and other high education institutions across the predominantly Kashmir Valley. The government has also announced that online classes will be conducted for the students of its all-degrees colleges in the Valley as they are “facing major challenges in commuting to colleges and, thereby, attending classes due to early onset of winter”.
