Onlykashmir.in News Desk
In a revelation that shatters long-held assumptions, an RTI response from different Universities, a copy of which lies with Onlykashmir.in, has confirmed that the Jammu and Kashmir government has never officially banned student politics or unions in the Kashmir Valley—or anywhere in the Union Territory. The catch? A 15-year-old verbal directive at Kashmir University has quietly stifled student activism, despite no legal backing.
Filed by Nasir Khuehami, National Convenor of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, the RTI sought evidence of any official order curbing student unions or campus politics across J&K’s educational institutions. The Higher Education Department’s response was unequivocal: no such ban exists. Universities like Jammu University, Central University of Kashmir, and others echoed this, confirming that neither the government nor the institutions themselves have issued directives against student associations.
Kashmir University, however, offered a twist. While admitting no formal ban exists, it cited a 2009 verbal order by then Vice-Chancellor Prof. Riyaz Punjabi as the basis for its union-free stance. No written circular, no official record—just a spoken word upheld for over a decade. The university defended this by touting its “transparent” grievance system, a claim Khuehami dismissed as “gaslighting.” “Students fear the Chief Proctor more than North Koreans fear Kim Jong Un,” he quipped, highlighting a culture of intimidation over dialogue.
Khuehami while talking with Onlykashmir.in argues that transparency and student unions aren’t at odds—top Indian institutions like JNU and DU thrive with both. “Law and order is just an excuse for Kashmir University to dodge accountability,” he said, accusing the administration of eroding educational quality behind closed doors. He insists student bodies are vital watchdogs, essential for restoring the university’s lost prestige.
The RTI lays bare a stark truth: Kashmir’s student politics isn’t banned—it’s been silently suffocated. With no legal or moral ground for its stance, Kashmir University faces a reckoning. Will it embrace democratic values and revive student representation, or cling to an outdated, unspoken relic? The answer could redefine campus life in the Valley.
