“Holding peaceful protest demos is fundamental right of students”
SRINAGAR: Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba Jammu and Kashmir (IJT), the largest students’ organization f the State, while strongly condemning the use of force against peaceful demonstrations of students across Kashmir on Monday, has expressed complete solidarity with the student community of Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement issued to the Press, the students’ body has maintained that holding peaceful protest demonstration was a fundamental right of the student community everywhere in the civilized world.
“No authority on earth has any legal right to bar students from expressing their viewpoint,” the statement said, adding “the treatment meted out to students of Jammu and Kashmir has time and again been undemocratic and uncivilized in nature.”
“The authorities should have allowed the peaceful protest demonstrations by the students. These students, which included females, were not holding weapons in their hands or throwing stones,” the statement further said.
The reaction by the protesting students at some places was only in response to the pellet and teargas shelling unleashed by government forces to break up the peaceful demonstrations of the students. Barring students from holding peaceful protest demonstration is illegal and cannot be justified by any standard in the civilized world.
“The response to the student protests by the state authorities in Kashmir has lifted veil from the archaic mentality and stale beliefs of the so-called rulers who pretend to be enlightened lot,” the statement added.
“If students aren’t allowed to express their viewpoint, than who else is?” the IJT statement asked.
IJT expresses serious concern over the recurrent efforts by the vested interests to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere of the State’s educational campuses.
The statement further said that everything in educational campuses was peaceful until government forces tried to gatecrash into Degree College Pulwama premises some days ago for unknown reasons, even without the permission of the College administration.
IJT expresses complete solidarity with the student community, especially with those who were injured today and prays for their speedy recovery.
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