Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Mar 24: Around 30 girl students from the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), Awantipora are stuck in Kathua in two buses after they refused quarantine facility due to lack of facilities.
The students were out for internship as a part of their studies in Ludhiana in Punjab, but had to return home after they were asked to leave as the State imposed lockdown amid the spread of COVID-19 infection.
The students told Excelsior over phone that they had to spend last night in two buses as the facilities provided by authorities for quarantine was not up to the mark and the place did not qualify to be called as quarantine facility.
Authorities have kept them at Gujjar Bakerwal Hostel in Kathua for quarantine after not allowing them beyond Lakhanpur. “After reaching there a day before, we were screened and it went all good; after that we asked them to allow us to proceed, but they kept avoiding us,” the students said.
The students were then told that they have to undergo quarantine and were taken to Gujjar Bakerwal Hostel in Kathua. “Now that they have brought us here, they should be at least providing us enough facilities so that we can live here; it is too unhygienic,” the students said.
They said that they refused to be quarantined in the Gujjar Bakerwal Hostel, Kathua and returned to buses in which they were brought from Lakhanpur. “Authorities have been telling us that we will be shifted to another place but so far nothing was done”, they said.
These students were in Ludhiana since January 9 until March 22 as part of their internship.
They have not been given the necessary masks to wear; neither are they being provided with meals on time. “Not even proper drinking water facilities are here,” they said.
The students said that as they were cleared in screening and are not even having any symptoms, they should be allowed to go home. “If they want to quarantine us, we are okay with that too, but at least they should provide us better facilities-this is not what we call as quarantine and if they are not able to provide better facilities, then they should let us go home, where we can observe home quarantine,” the aggrieved students said.
The students were however, this evening shifted to a quarantine facility which was better than earlier facility. They have now moved to this facility for 14 days quarantine.
Meanwhile the Government spokesperson, Rohit Kansal said that those coming from out of J&K will have to undergo quarantine. “#JammuAndKashmir Interstate border at Lakhanpur is sealed. All entrants to be sent to quarantine at Kathua. Request to all: Please cooperate. Your support and help in #FightagainstCorona is critical,” he tweeted.
Offer prayers at home: Mirwaiz
Hurriyat Conference chairman and head of Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq today appealed people to offer prayers at home, as the Coronavirus pandemic spreads.
The Anjuman has already suspended all congregational prayers at Jama Masjid Srinagar for the time being
In a statement, the Auqaf said as the world battles COVID-19, Muslim communities around the globe like others, are also carefully considering how best to continue with our religious activities, while trying to minimise the spread of the Coronavirus.
“With the increasing rate of transmission, the number of deaths, and limited medical facilities available, all Islamic scholarly and medical advice points towards the curtailment of social contact as the key towards reducing the spread”, the statement said.
“Hence, it is our public duty as Muslims to protect one another from harm, and it is evident the most effective way to do this now is to avoid social contact as much as possible. This includes in all walks of life, whether social, work or the mosques. It has become imperative that this extraordinary step is taken to ensure the safety and well-being of all as is being done in many Muslim countries”, the statement said.
Anjum Auqaf on behalf of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who continues to be under house arrest, urgently requests people to undertake these measures needed in such unprecedented times and put our trust in Allah and his mercy and pray for the safety and protection of mankind in this grave crisis.
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