By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net,
Delhi/Srinagar: Thirteen Kashmiri students studying in Rohtak Institute of Engineering and Management (RIEM), who were expelled last month over non-payment of promised scholarship under the Prime Minister Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) have announced to go on an indefinite hunger strike starting Saturday at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
“We spoke to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Parliament Street, Delhi for getting permission to hold the indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar and they have accepted our request but only for one day. As we are going on indefinite hunger strike, so we will resist police move if they try to forcibly remove us after day one,”
Group of 13 Kashmiri students who are putting up in rented accommodation as the students are desisted from availing hostel facility over nonpayment of scholarship by government.
Nasser Ahmed Sofi, one of the 13 Kashmiri students, told Twocircles.net.
Earlier this week, the 13 Kashmiri students had threatened to go on hunger strike
at Jantar Mantar, Delhi, if their demand of promised scholarship was not compensated to the college authorities at the earliest.
“As the government didn’t budge to our demand that’s why we are going on hunger strike so that ours and other Kashmiri students stuck in this (PMSSS) mess are saved from getting their future spoiled,” said Nasir.
All the 13 students have arrived in capital this evening for the proposed hunger strike starting Saturday morning.
It is pertinent to mention here that, Prime Minister Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) was launched by UPA-II after the 2010 massive uprising, as an effort to
help Kashmiri students in getting admissions in reputed colleges of India.
The scheme since its inception has been riddled in several scams, with almost not transparency and inclusion of several mediators and NGOs led to massive embezzlement of funds meant for scholarship of selected students. Various assurances from the state and central government to clean up the mess in Prime Minister Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) have turned futile as no major step has been initiated in this regard.
Earlier, on April 22, Mehbooba Mufti, the president of the ruling partner People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir, and a Member Parliament, had called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the problems being faced by the students from Jammu and Kashmir on account of the PMSSS.
She had also sought Prime Minister’s intervention in early redressal of the issues involving PMSSS. But no step has been initiated in this regard till date. Nobody from the government side was available for any comment on the students’ proposed hunger strike at Jantar Mantar from Saturday.
Related:
13 Kashmiri students reinstated by Rohtak College
Kashmiri Students ‘selected’ under PM scholarships scheme expelled from Rohtak college