Friday, March 29, 2024

World Cup final: Kashmiri students thrashed in Punjab

On 13 November, Kashmiri engineering students in Punjab’s Moga were allegedly thrashed over the match results of the World Cup final 2022 between Pakistan vs England. The incident was reported to the Moga police, after which it detained ten students of Lala Laprat Rai Institute of Engineering and Technology (LLRIET), five from Kashmir and five from Bihar. 

“We received a distress call from LLRIET, where the students informed us that after the world cup match, some students from Bihar entered the room of Kashmiri students and started shouting and cursing at them, and started beating them up. At least 5-7 Kashmiri students suffered injuries, and their rooms also suffered stone pelting, and afterwards, students got arrested,” said Danish Lone, National Co-Convener of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association.

Danish told Maktoob that when he contacted the Director of Campus Gursharan Cheema to take stock of the situation.

Danish says that according to the director, there was an argument between the two groups and both pelted stones at each other. Some students suffered minor injuries.

The police were called to resolve the matter and detained ten students.  

The National Convenor of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association Nasir Khuehami says that when informed about the matter, he contacted the SSP Moga Gulneet Singh and requested him to look into the matter and take the required action.

Kashmiri students getting into trouble during Pakistan matches are not new.

“When we contacted the SSP, they told us that the students did not get arrested, whereas because of precautionary measures, the college sent them with the police till the matter rests. There was no FIR against any of the students,” Lone said.

Nasir Khuemi told Maktoob that any rumours of slogans raised before or after the match or the involvement of any locals of Punjab are wrong. The clash was only between students from Bihar and Kashmir. At least 3-4 Kashmiri students suffered injuries and were shifted to the local hospital for treatment. 

“I urged Gulneet to investigate, and whoever is involved in this gory incident in Moga, strict action should be taken against them. And I was informed late at night that the students would go free with no FIR against them, and today they were released,” Khuehami said.

“We had written many times to the Government of Punjab about such incidents and requested them to create a safe atmosphere for Kashmiri students because a good strength is studying here in various educational institutions of Punjab”.

“But over time, we believe that the state government has failed to address such issues. And today, we requested again that any students from Kashmir or people from Kashmir Community suffering from these incidents be taken seriously and looked upon with gravity,” Nasir told Maktoob Media.

“Even some days ago, a Kashmiri truck driver was attacked in the Village of Sherpur, where he suffered a grave head injury, followed by 4-5 stitches. Such incidents come often, but when Amarinder Singh was the Chief Minister, and this kind of occurrence would happen, the intervention was quick, and there was prompt action. Since the regime got changed, things have escalated and have gone worse. The SSP has assured us that those who thrashed the Kashmiri students, will be arrested and strict action will be taken against them,” Khuehami added.

Saher Hiba Khan
Saher Hiba Khan
Saher Hiba Khan is a freelance journalist based in New Delhi and she studies English literature at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
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