Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 22: A large number of students from Ladakh, who belong to Schedule Tribe category, today lodged their protest against the Tribal Affair Department, Jammu and Kashmir over delay in disbursement of scholarship at Directorate of Tribal Affair, Jammu.
These Ladakhi students, who are studying in various institutions of Jammu, assembled at the Directorate and held a peaceful protest amidst shouting of slogans. They also gheraoed the officials of Tribal Affairs Department.
The protest was organized under the banner of All Ladakh Student Association Jammu (ALSAJ) and in collaboration with All Kargil Student Association Jammu (AKSAJ), Student Association of Ladakh Jammu (SAOLJ) and All Zanaskar Student Union (AZSU).
Addressing the protesters, ALSAJ president Nawang Tundup said that they were protesting against non-payment of their scholarship, which was not awarded for last three years despite sanctioning of the same by Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Condemning the State Government’s inability to pay the money he said, “Students have not received their scholarships and several meetings had been held with the concerned Social Welfare Ministry officials but no action has been taken so far.”
“I received the scholarship way back in 2010, when I was in the first year. Since then nothing has come my way. Despite approaching college administration time and again, nothing has happened till date,” said Stanzin Kawang, a final-year student of GGM Science College.
Later, amid slogans like ‘we want Justice’, ‘pay our dues timely’ agitating students also gheraoed the officials of Tribal Affairs and locked them inside the office for several hours.
The gherao was lifted only after the intervention of Trikuta Nagar Police and written assurance from Director Tribal Affair Ali Raza, in which the departments agreed to clear all dues of scholarships by end of May, 2014.
After receiving assurance the students suspended the agitation but warned that they will resume protest if Government did not pay their money in stipulated time.
Stanzin Dorjey, Rinchen Angmo and Rinchen Norbu were among those who addressed the protest demonstration.
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