Pulwama Aftermath: Pay Fine or Miss Exams, Dehradun College Tells Kashmiri Students Who Were ‘Asked to Leave’

New Delhi: After preparing for a week to appear in the internal examination, Varun (name changed), a Kashmiri student studying at Beehive College, Dehradun, was shocked when he was asked to pay fine of Rs. 4,600 for not attending classes from mid-February to mid-March. He was asked not to fill the examination form until he submits the fine. This is not only the story of Varun, but all those Kashmiri students who had left college following their manhandling and targeting in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack.

On Friday, Varun along with other Kashmiri students, staged a protest outside the examination hall until the director assured them that their issue would be resolved.

“We had decided that we won’t appear for the internal examination but the director assured us that he will sort out the matter and we should go for the examinations. But once the examination was over, we were told that nothing can be done. Rs 4,600 is a huge amount for us," he told NewsClick.

Students also alleged that the director had threatened them to either pay the fine else they could leave the college.

Also Read: How a Kashmiri Braved the Turbulent Times in Dehradun

Ravi (name changed), another Kashmiri student, told NewsClick, “We used to regularly attend college till February 15, but after that, as the situation became volatile in Dehradun, the director himself asked us to leave for home as he couldn’t assure us safety. But today, in the classroom, we were told by the director that ‘Ya Rs 5,000 fine de do, nahi toh dusre saal examination form bharna, ya ghar chale jaana. (Either you pay Rs 5,000 fine, else appear next year for the examination, or go home.)”

According to the students, the college is asking them to pay an “unnecessary” fine for a situation that was not created by them. Another student, who wished anonymity, said: “This is not at all fair. Everybody knows what the situation was. It was all over the newspapers. The administration itself asked us to leave the college and go home and now they are asking us to pay fine for not attending classes. The last day for filling the form is on May 6. We don’t know what to do. This is pure harassment.”

NewsClick made several attempts to contact the Dean and Director of Beehive College, Dehradun, but none responded.

Speaking to NewsClick, the spokesperson of Jammu and Kashmir Students' Association, Nasir Khuehami, said, “Some Dehradun based colleges are asking Kashmiri students to pay a fine for running away post-Pulwama attack. The college authorities are asking students to pay for short attendance, but the irony is that the same colleges were asking Kashmiri students to leave until the atmosphere calms down.”

Also Read: Pulwama Aftermath: Kashmiri Professor Forced To Resign From Lovely Professional University

Appealing to the Uttarakhand government to look into the issue, Khuehami said, “I urge the Uttarakhand government to blacklist colleges that are harassing students and imposing unnecessary fines.”

In the aftermath of Pulwama attack, which took place on February 14, Kashmiri students across India were threatened and harassed. NewsClick has followed the entire issue and has reported the incidents.

As reported then, in Dehradun itself, 12 students were beaten up by Right-wing activists while they were returning to their college after offering namaz.

Read More: Pulwama Attack Aftermath: Kashmiris Threatened and Attacked in Dehradun and Jammu