Srinagar, July 3: The Central University of Kashmir (CUK) has come under severe criticism following an incident where a security guard was caught on video, on Wednesday, allegedly manhandling a student.
The student, along with the other aggrieved students of the varsity, was protesting against the fee hike and was forcefully pushed down stairs from the first floor to the ground floor by the guard.
Notably, the students are protesting for the last few days against the fee hike given the varsity in various courses.
The eyewitnesses told Greater Kashmir that the episode took place on Wednesday at Tulmulla campus of the Varsity where the VC Prof. A Ravinder Nath had come to assess the situation after a portion of the ceiling of one of the classrooms of the education department had fallen. The move created panic among the students following which four students were taken to nearby health care facility for treatment.
“As the VC arrived, the students tried to approach him with their demand seeking revocation of fee hike order,” eyewitness said.
The students said the VC had earlier agreed to meet the protesting students and listen to their demands.
“But as the students tried to approach the VC, the security officer asked the security guard not to allow the students to meet the VC,” one of the CUK students, who was present at the spot, told Greater Kashmir.
Following this, the security guard pushed and manhandled the student and the actions were caught on camera which later created a storm on social media.
Post the incident, the VC met the students to listen to their grievances. “The VC met us but he did not give any assurances to revoke the fee hike order,” the students said.
Meanwhile, as the footage, showing the student being aggressively handled by the security personnel, has gone viral, the netizens have condemned the incident, describing it as a humiliating act against the students and an abuse of power by the security staff of the CUK.
Students protesting over the fee hike said the move was unjustified and uncalled for, especially given the current state of facilities provided by the university.
“The fee hike is unreasonable, considering the quality of facilities we are provided at the University,” a protesting student said.
The administration of CUK is facing backlash for handling of the situation with critics arguing instead of using force, the university should have adopted other measures to deal with the situation.
The Vice Chancellor CUK when contacted feigned ignorance about the episode saying the students met him and raised their demand as well.
“I was at the campus and I met the students who are protesting against the fee hike. But I am not aware when the student was pushed by the security guard,” he said.
VC CUK while referring to the video said the student should have not been pushed as shown in the video. ” I will definitely look into the matter,” he said.
He said the students should have adopted other peaceful means to register their protests instead of creating a scene in the university. “They can boycott classes or wear black bands to register protest. But they locked the laborers inside and did not allow them to work,” VC CUK said.
