Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 29: Opposing the admission of students of a particular community in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti today launched its agitation.
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Under the leadership of the Samiti’s Convener, Colonel Sukhbir Singh Mankotia, hundreds of people took out a rally from Raghunath Temple Chowk to Indira Chowk and staged a protest against the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and the administration of the Institute of Medical Excellence.
After the protest, members of the core committee of the Sangharsh Samiti submitted a memorandum addressed to the President, the Union Health Minister and the Lieutenant Governor through the Divisional Commissioner’s office.
Protests were also held in all nine other districts of the division-Samba, Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi, Rajouri, Poonch, Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar under the leadership of their respective district conveners, and memorandums were sent to the President through the district magistrates concerned.
Before the rally, at Raghunath Temple Chowk, the Samiti’s convener Colonel Sukhbir Singh Mankotia, Sanatan Dharam Sabha President Purushottam Dadhichi, and district convener Sanjay Mahajan offered prayers at the main entrance of Raghunath Temple and wished for the success of the agitation.
In his brief address, Colonel Sukhbir Singh Mankotia said that the Shrine Board should primarily focus on religious programmes and establishing religious institutions. “If they have established a medical college, then only Hindus should be given priority in admissions,” he said and added that the Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence has been built entirely from the donations of Hindus and this is also a matter of faith for millions of Hindus.
In his address, Purushottam Dadhichi said that from the base camp of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi in Katra to the entire surrounding area, meat and liquor are completely prohibited. “In such a situation, how will the Government ensure that by granting admission predominantly to students from the Muslim community, meat consumption will not take place? The Hindu community will not tolerate this, and until 100 percent admission is given only to Hindus, this agitation will continue,” he said.
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