Govt & Kashmiri students meeting at Jamia cancelled

A lunch meeting between a central government officer and a section of Kashmiri students scheduled at the Jamia Millia Islamia was cancelled, a university official said on Tuesday.

The meeting was cancelled after a section of Kashmiri students at the varsity refused to take part in it.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik had sanctioned Rs 1 lakh each to liaison officers to organise Eid festivities for students from the state who are studying in different cities and were unable to go home on the occasion, a Raj Bhavan spokesperson had said on Friday.

A varsity official on Tuesday said, "The lunch which was to be hosted by Deputy Director Information Jammu and Kashmir in Jamia Millia Islamia on August 14 stands cancelled."

In a statement issued on Monday, the Kashmiri students had said they had been intimated by university authorities about the proposed lunch with the liaison officer of the government at the university guest house.

"In the interest of justice, we seek to inform you that we not only reject this supposed lunch offer in toto but also refuse to be part of any such state-sponsored gatherings in the future as well.

"We deem participating in such a lunch event as an act of betrayal and a flagrant disregard towards our people's legitimate rights. We unanimously reject this exceptionalism and expansionism...," the Jamia students had told the media in a statement.