On Wednesday, Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik had announced that Rs 1 lakh each has been given to designated liaison officers “for organising Eid festivities for students from the state who are studying in other states” and are unable to come home on the occasion of Eid amid military clampdown in the Valley. Accordingly, Liaison Officers at different Central Universities issued “invitations” to students from Jammu and Kashmir for Lunch on Eid.

Jammu and Kashmiri students from at least 2 of the Central Universities – the Aligarh Muslim University and the University of Hyderabad – have since issued statements turning down the invitations. “The Governor of the state has no sympathies for us and the sanction of Rs 1 lakh and an Eid invitation is to buy our consent for the undemocratic means adopted by the Indian Government. The acceptance of the invitation would be an insult to [the] courage of our parents who are surviving the massive militarization and absolute clampdown in J&K,” wrote the AMU students. “We would like to take this opportunity to register our protest against the onslaught on J&K’s special status and the clampdown of all communication channels in the Valley. We express our support and solidarity with our fellow Kashmiris who have been caged and put under siege by the government of India,” read the Statement from JKSA UoH.

Here are the full texts of both the statements:

Statement Of Jammu and Kashmiri students Studying at Aligarh Muslim University

This statement is a response to the message conveyed by the Registrar AMU to the students from Jammu and Kashmir at Aligarh Muslim University that Mr. Sanjay Pandit, Liaison Officer, Government of India has invited us for the Lunch on the day of Eid at the University Guest House. Earlier newspaper reports suggested that Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik has sanctioned Rs 1 lakh each to the designated liaison officers for organising Eid festivities for students from the state who are studying in other states and are unable to come home on the occasion of Eid amid security clampdown in the J&K.

We, the students from Jammu and Kashmir studying at Aligarh Muslim University hereby express our dismay on the invitation that has political connotation and is aimed to rub salts on our wounds. We take this invitation as an opportunity to reject the Delhi’s authoritarianism and drama played in the Indian parliament on 5th of this month. Though Delhi has a history of broken promises, the revocation of article 370 without consultation of the people of J&K by manoeuvring constitution is broad day robbery of our rights. It was followed by an absolute clampdown in the state and a massive crackdown across J&K, thereby arresting over 800 political workers. All the communication services have been barred and there is a blanket ban on expressing dissent in J&K. No News paper has published its online or print version in the last six days. The Governor of J&K has even imprisoned the Lawyers, Professors, traders and students in the guise of public law and order. There is an emergency situation in the state and a war cry at the borders. The Universities and colleges have been turned into camps for paramilitary troops and schools have been closed for an indefinite time. No means to communicate with our parents back home have been left. We have been rendered to the dark ages in the 21st century. There is an eminent threat of demographic change in the Designs of Delhi to rob us of our culture, history and religion.

Under such circumstance, the entire Alig fraternity of J&K at AMU expresses our deep anger against the deceitful behaviour of Delhi. We condemn the curfew and clampdown of communication services in J&K. We strongly believe that an invitation for the lunch on Eid is to rub salt on our wounds and to present a humane face of the brutal state before the world. This is an attempt to mislead the international community and people in India about the ground situation in Kashmir. The Governor of the state has no sympathies for us and the sanction of Rs 1 lakh and an Eid invitation is to buy our consent for the undemocratic means adopted by the Indian Government. The acceptance of the invitation would be an insult to our courage of our parents who are surviving the massive militarization and absolute clampdown in J&K.

We, the students at Aligarh Muslim University have therefore unanimously decided to reject this invitation.

Students of Jammu and Kashmir,
Studying at Aligarh Muslim University

Statement of Jammu and Kashmir Students’ Association- JKSA, University of Hyderabad

This statement is a response to the message conveyed by the DSW office to the students from Jammu and Kashmir studying at University of Hyderabad (UoH) that Mr. Ashwini Kumar, Liaison Officer, Government of India has invited us for lunch on the day of Eid.

Earlier newspaper reports suggested that J&K governor Satya Pal Malik has sanctioned Rs one lakh each to the designated liaison officers for organising Eid festivities for Kashmiri students who are studying outside and are unable to visit home on Eid amid security clampdown.

We, the students of Jammu and Kashmir studying at UoH, express our dismay over the invitation. We would like to take this opportunity to register our protest against the onslaught on J&K’s special status and the clampdown of all communication channels in the Valley.

We express our support and solidarity with our fellow Kashmiris who have been caged and put under siege by the government of India. We also condemn the curfew and use of brute force to silence Kashmiris.

We, strongly believe that an invitation for the lunch on Eid is an attempt to consolidate Kashmiri students. Thus, the acceptance of such an invitation would be a betrayal and insult to the resistance of our fellow Kashmiris who have been denied their basic human rights.

We, the students at UoH have therefore unanimously decided to reject this invitation.

Jammu & Kashmir Students’ Association – JKSA,
University of Hyderabad

Feature image: FIle. Courtesy: The Wire/Shome Basu