Hundreds of undergraduate students on Monday faced hardships while reaching their respective exam centers due to the strike called by separatists in Kashmir Valley against recent killings in south Kashmir.

Scores of students could not reach the centers and missed the exams. Many students complained of overcharging by transporters.“ Today I had to pay 100 rupees fare against Rs 30 from Krusan Lolab to Kupwara only to appear before the political science paper,” Sajad Ahmad, a student of BA Ist Year said. Similar complaints were received from other parts of the Valley.

“The education in the Valley is badly hit since 2008. This is unfortunate,” Mushtaq Ahmad Mir, a postgraduate student from Rafiabad, Baramulla said. He said that the year – 2008, 2010, 2013, and 2016 – remained the most violent years which badly affected the education of students.

“Besides these years, post-2013, the internet gag, clashes-cum-protests during search operations by government forces has also become the order of the day. All this has taken a heavy toll on the education,” he said.

Abdula Gaffar Bhat, a retired lecturer, from Handwara said the teachers are now afraid of guiding students towards the “right path”.

“During my tenure, we were guiding students and used to even beat them for not completing homework. Today’s age is different as the students now lack patience and are treading the wrong path,” he said.

“The student fraternity must keep patience and respect the teachers, parents, and elders if they want to become the role models. Otherwise, they will realize all this when it would be too late,” the retired lecturer said.

Viewpoint

It appears that the Separatists in Kashmir have only one solution to all problems, calling for a shutdown or a “bandh”. Who is affected? Definitely not these hardliners but the Kashmiri businessmen, Kashmiri school-college going children, Kashmiri tourism, people who need medical attention, etc. it primarily affects every Kashmiri. Then why call for a bandh for anything and everything?

All states face issues (related to terrorism, law and order, social ills etc) however, it is rare to see a call for shutdown even in the most trying times by the people of these states. Be it the 2008 Mumbai attacks, unrest in NE caused by insurgents, red alerts in metros or even natural calamities the state/city machinery doesn’t crack up and revives itself for the good.  So why is it that Kashmiri’s iterate a call for bandh so frequently and jeopardize the government machinery and life of a common Kashmiri?

Have these bandhs solved any purpose so far? This is for the common men/women in Kashmir to deliberately ponder upon. How long can they be fooled or are they comfortable blinded to the tremendous economic losses and above all loss of human life by aligning with the ulterior motives of the so-called saviors of Kashmir who only demand shutdowns.

18 Sep 18/Tuesday.                                                                                         Written by Afsana