A spate of unrest in the valley that actually began in summer 2016 and has been resurfacing intermittently, carries the disappointing aspect of student involvement in law and order disruption phenomenon. The State is deeply concerned about the academic and psychological loss that student involvement in the acts of lawlessness inflicts on them. The student of today is the builder of the future of the State. But he can build the future of the State only when he first builds his own career. Involvement in violent public demonstrations means that the students at various levels from schools to university have to miss their lessons because disruption of law and order forces authorities to shut down the schools for security reasons. Losing one or two semesters means losing an academic year, something which ordinary citizens cannot afford. Time matters in the process of academic pursuits. Not only the Governor but the Government at large and the sensible civil society in the valley, all are greatly concerned on a phenomenon in the valley that prompts the students to come out on the streets, participate in anti-Government demonstrations, pelt stones at security forces and cause damage to public property. All this activity leads to disruption of law and order in the State. No responsible Government can allow this situation to go on indefinitely. The solution lies in interacting with the students, listening to their grievances and finding a remedy if these grievances are genuine. No Government wants the security forces to be harsh in dealing with defiant students.
In this background, the Governor, after the Durbar move, has initiated series of consultations with senior administrative and premier educational institutions’ authorities to discuss the situation and find out some methodology of saving the career of young college and university going students. The basics of this discourse are that the educational career of student should be protected and not allowed to go waste. There are some anti-social elements who would not want the students to remain glued to their studies and become the future builders of Kashmir.
Besides conveying his concerns to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, the Governor held extensive discussions with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti two days earlier in which he had particularly urged her to take all required steps for ensuring that the students’ community is immunised against any involvement in law and order situation. Students at all levels generally show great regard for their teachers and heads of the institutions. The Governor has very rightly emphasized upon the Vice Chancellors of the Universities that the faculties and various administrative organs like Deans, Heads of Department, senior professors and teachers have the moral responsibility of guiding the students along right path. The teachers can remove confusions and misunderstandings created by vested interest among the student community. And of course intervention of the teaching faculties will certainly yield positive results. The Governor has very rightly got into touch with the heads of the institutions and had a long discussion on the subject with the Education Minister on who rests the onus of counselling the student community and weaning them away from acts of violence usually instigated by wrong political activities. If this process is extended and more and more visits from responsible authorities to the schools in rural areas and meeting with the village elders continues, it can have considerable impact on law and order situation in the valley.
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