Former legislator Er Rasheed on Monday appealed to the regional political parties to include opening of new professional and technical colleges in their manifestos.
In a statement, Rasheed said that the ongoing attacks and harassment of Kashmiri students outside the state has created more needs for establishing such institutions in public and the private sector.
“While the state already lacks good professional colleges and institutions, but the ongoing assault and harassment against Kashmiri students in other states has created more need for establishing such institutions in public and private sector,” Rasheed said.
“Many local investors have been trying hard to get permission from the competent authority to establish various much needed colleges in Kashmir valley but unfortunately bureaucracy has been creating barriers and thus not allowing education sector to flourish beyond a certain point.”
He said it is high time for all those regional political parties who are in the race of power to make sincere and concrete promises that they will not only allow investment in the education sector without creating hurdles but will also create a huge network of professional and technical colleges in every district of the state.
He said that attacks on Kashmiris outside the state should serve as a wake-up call. “Whatsoever Kashmiris are facing in rest of the states should act as a wakeup call and while large number of students will prefer to leave their education half way, rather studying outside J&K, parents will also be facing psychological and real worries in sending their children outside Kashmir,” he said.
Former MLA Langate said that future generation can’t be deprived from getting best possible education in an era of huge competition and advanced technology. “It is also known to all that getting passport too has become an uphill task for the youth and studying outside Kashmir has become an issue, there is no way out but to set up best class educational institutions in the state itself,” he said.
Rasheed said prominent investors should prefer to invest in education sector. “It can really be a huge contribution towards the society. However unless main political parties including NC and PDP do not promise to make the process of establishing these institutions time bound and easy by making necessary amendments in the laws, the aim cannot be achieved,” he said.