Kashmiri students from Jamia refuse lunch invite, event called off

Students from Aligarh Muslim University and University of Hyderabad had also refused to attend similar events to be organised as part of “Eid festivities” for Kashmiri students studying outside the state after the J-K governor had sanctioned ₹1 lakh for the event last week.

New Delhi: A day after students from Jamia Millia Islamia refused to accept the invitation for lunch by Centre-appointed liaison officer, the event has been called off.

HT File photo

“The lunch, which was to be hosted by Deputy Director Information J&K for the students of Jammu & Kashmir in Jamia on August 14, stands cancelled,” the university said on Tuesday. “The university had no role to play in this lunch. This event was being organised by the J&K officials and they were the ones who called it off. We haven’t been informed about the reason behind it so far,” a university official said.

Students from Aligarh Muslim University and University of Hyderabad had also refused to attend similar events to be organised as part of “Eid festivities” for Kashmiri students studying outside the state after the J-K governor had sanctioned ₹1 lakh for the event last week.

“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 have every reason to believe that this lunch offer is aimed at seeking our legitimacy for the anti-Kashmir policies and approaches pursued by Indian government,” the students said.

Shahid Lone, a PhD scholar and writer, said, “We deem participating in such a lunch event as an act of betrayal and a flagrant disregard towards our people’s legitimate rights. We would not have attended it anyway.”