Kashmir News Trust #KNT
The authorities at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Hazratbal Srinagar Friday closed the Institution till further orders after the clashes between rival groups over the celebration of the Indian cricket team’s defeat to West Indies.
Pertinently, in many parts of Kashmir people in large numbers took to the roads and celebrated India’s defeat at the hands of West Indies. People burst firecrackers and raised pro-West Indies slogans in various parts of the Valley. The local students who are in minority at NIT reportedly thronged into the lawns of the institute on Thursday night and amid anti-India slogans set firecrackers in the air. “The ‘jubilant’ students celebrated the West Indies Cricket team win for hours,” an official from the Institute told the news agency Kashmir News Trust.
The non-local students reportedly reacted to the previous night’s incident and demanded security. These non-local students reportedly damaged college infrastructure and clashed with the local students. The clashes hit class work while authorities called the police to defuse the situation. The police according to eyewitnesses lobbed a few tear-smoke shells to disperse the groups of youth. Eyewitnesses said that a student was injured during the scuffle, however, the identity of the wounded student was not immediately known.
Pertinently, there are more than 70% of engineering students studying at NIT Srinagar. Local students alleged that some non-local students tried to misbehave with teaching staff, however, local students retaliated resulting in the clashes. The local students demanded stern action against the ‘erring’ students.
Registrar NIT, F.A.Mir issued a notice directing students to vacate the hostel rooms.
“In view of the prevailing indiscipline created by the students from today the 1st of April, 2016, the Institute is closed till further orders. Students are therefore directed to vacate the hostels. The decision has been taken due to the denial by the students to maintain discipline even after repeated requests by the Institute as well as local administration,” the notice reads.
A police official said that some miscreants tried to create a law-and-order problem in the Institute. “The situation was brought under control and everything is normal there,” he said. [KNT]
