This must stop

It is an unhappy situation with the potential of turning uglier at any point of time if not taken seriously. Students from the state, particularly from Kashmir, studying in colleges and universities all over the country are targeted at regular intervals by the extremist elements within and outside the campuses. Not only criminal elements on the campuses but some reports suggest that police also have been targeting them, implicating them in frivolous cases. For past over one decade both the State and the Central government intervening at the highest level have failed to check the menace of physical assaults, intimidation, and harassment of students on the campuses. Notwithstanding the claims of having institutionalised the mechanism for ensuring the security, students continue to nurture a sense of uncertainty and insecurity. This is something not known before. Kashmir has been through violent turns and twists for now almost three decades, starting 1990, but nothing of the sort would happen anywhere in the country. In fact when the situation in Kashmir deteriorated in 1990 many business persons moved to different places in India to eke out a living. Many people settled their businesses outside the state, and flourished well. Similarly students from the length and breadth of Kashmir applied for admissions in various colleges and universities all over the country. Sensing that the education calendar in Kashmir is facing a major disruption, parents decided to take their children to different states of the country and settle with one or the other institution for uninterrupted education. In fact this was one of the reasons that more students started moving outside. When the degree courses in a Kashmir based college would take double the routine time to complete, those who went outside saved time and benefitted in their career immensely. But all this was possible only when the atmosphere was peaceful and people could pursue their studies and businesses without fear. But for past some years everything seems to be getting upside down. This has serious fall outs on the psyche of the people in Kashmir, and also creates a wall of fear and hatred between people of different identities.