6 Kargil Students Summoned For Provoking Anti-Govt Protest

Representational Photo

Srinagar: The Ladakh administration has summoned six students for allegedly provoking girl students to stage an anti-government protest last month in the mountainous Kargil district of the newly carved out Ladakh Union Territory.

At least six students have been summoned by the Executive Magistrate, 1st class, Kargil for allegedly trying to breach peace and create chaos by provoking the students of girls’ higher secondary against the administration, sources told Kashmir Observer.

Pertinently, scores of girls’ students hit the streets in Kargil town on October 28 and staged a protest over the alleged occupation of the land by some locals belonging to the girls’ higher secondary school. The protesting students had marched to the office of Deputy Commissioner, Kargil to press for their demand. The protesting students were given assurance by the ADC, Kargil that their genuine demand will be met.

“Whereas it has made to appear to me by credible information that you are tried to commit a breach of peace by provoking the students of girls higher secondary against the administration and tried to create chaos, which may cause breach of peace and you are likely to commit breach of peace,” reads the summon issued by the Executive Magistrate, 1st class, to Ali Murtaza, President of Student Education Movement of Kargil (SEMOK)

“Therefore, you are hereby required to attend this court in person (or by a duly authorized agent) on 18.11.2021 at 11:00 am to file show cause as to why you should not be required to enter into a bond for Rs 10,000/ that you will keep peace for a term of one year,” adds the summon issued on Tuesday.

Besides Murtaza, summons have also been issued against Ahmad Qadri SEMOK Vice President, Farzana Batool SEMOK Member, Shazia Nazir president of All Ladakh Student Welfare Association Jammu, Hassan Hundarmani Spokesman of SEMOK, and Jammu Boys Hostel president Mohammad Hasnain.

Terming the charge as baseless, Murtaza said that instead of taking action against the land grabbers, the students were being victimised and their voices muzzled.

“The protest march was taken out in a peaceful manner with prior intimation to the police. We didn’t resort to any kind of violence nor did we indulged in any provocative sloganeering,” he said.

Murtaza said that he and the SEMOK spokesperson were detained by police and kept in illegal confinement for over 30 minutes.

“We were released only after the students refused to call off the protest near the DC office. Even ADC assured the students that our demands will be met,” he said.

Expressing surprise over summons, Murtaza said that had he and other students breached peace by taking out a peaceful march, why did the administration wait for three weeks to act.

“It’s just an excuse. We are being suppressed for raising our voice for justice,” he said.

Be Part of Quality Journalism

Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast.

ACT NOW