Damage Control: Student activities under surveillance in Kashmir

NL Correspondent

SRINAGAR: To curb on illegal activities of students, the government has started taking several measures to stop the protests in educational institutions of Kashmir.

On Thursday, only the students were allowed to enter into respective schools and higher secondaries after checking their identity proofs.

This step has been taken that no outsider is able to enter into educational institutions and indulge in violent protests.

Further, sources said the educational institutions authorities have been directed to issue fresh identity cards to students.

“The government told us that no outsider should be allowed to enter into colleges and higher secondaries,” an official of school education department said.

The government has also directed the district development commissioners and college authorities for categorization of the educational institutions in the valley. “The educational institutions will be declared either as sensitive, hypersensitive or non-sensitive,” a senior official said.

A Kashmir University student said the police in civvies have been deployed in the varsity to keep surveillance on students.

The security agencies also want installation of CCTVs in educational institutions in the backdrop of student protests across the valley.

“In the first phase, the security agencies have asked the government to install CCTVs in educational institutions where violent protests have become a routine,” a senior police official said. He said they would be used to ensure effective policing and surveillance in educational institutions and will be monitored from Police Control Room.

The student protests have become a cause of concern for the government. Even the Union Cabinet held a meeting last week where they expressed serious concern over “deteriorating” security scenario in the valley especially students participating in stone pelting. The colleges and higher secondaries also remained closed for a week. On Monday, when the academic activities resumed, the students clashed with forces in several educational institutions, leaving many students injured.

Besides installing CCTVs in educational institutions, the police official said the security agencies have identified at least 50 locations in Srinagar where around 200 CCTV cameras would be installed. The process has already begun in this regard, he said.

“Once gets nod from the government, the police would seek tenders for installation of new cameras in educational institutions too,” he said, adding, “there are CCTVs at several places especially in Srinagar but most of them are lying defunct. These are also going to be replaced”.