Srinagar : Carrying banners that read “keep up spirit of sports, justice for srudents”, Women’s Wing of National Conference on Monday staged a protest demonstration against the detention of Kashmiri students in Agra following the Indo-Pak Cricket match in the ongoing T20 Cricket World Cup.
The protest march, which was led by State Women’s Wing President Shameema Firdous, wasn’t allowed to step out of the Party headquarters Nawa e Subha, Srinagar following which scores of women functionaries staged a peaceful protest against the excesses committed on Kashmiri students, within the premises of party headquarters, as per a statement issued here.
The protesting functionaries were holding placards demanding withdrawal of UAPA case against the Kashmiri students in Agra. The protesters rued the misapplication of the charges against Kashmiri students as arbitrary and preposterous. Among others Party’s Provincial President Women’s Wing Er. Sabiya Qadri, Provincial Secretary Asia Jameel, District and Provincial Women’s Wing functionaries, DDC members were also present in the protest march.
In her address on the occasion, Shameema Firdous said that the Kashmiri students in Agra have been given a clean chit by their respective college on their non-involvement in the alleged cheering. The college authorities have also confirmed that they didn’t shout any slogans. “Rather than taking the college assurance at face value, the UP police are victimising these poor kids and their families. The innocent youth are being used as cannon fodder by the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh. The behaviour of the UP Police is unacceptable & deeply questionable,” she said.
Calling the slogan “making friends with Kashmiri youth” an empty rhetoric, she said that the proposition is farfetched in wake of the ongoing repression and undue intimidation of Kashmiri youth. “How can they be friends with our youth? The government is speaking out with forked tongue and the excesses committed against the Kashmiri students on one pretext or another defeat the hollow promises, which Kashmiris have been fed on since long. We condemn the atrocities against our youth and demand immediate withdrawal of cases against them,” she said adding, “It was unfortunate how advocates roughed up innocent youth in Agra while no action was taken against them. This intimidation and humiliation of our educated youth must stop.”
“Ending the current culture of repression and intimidation is the only means to become friends with our youth, who already continue to suffer on different accounts ranging from soaring unemployment and a sense of entitlement. Our youth are being subjected to undue hardships outside and back home as well. It is a no- win situation for our youth as well as the country,” she said, adding that the fragile socio-political landscape, affected by continuing violent conflict and instability, has created a deep sense of uncertainty amongst the local population, particularly the youth. (GNS)
