THE CENTRE’S special envoy on Kashmir, Dineshwar Sharma, held discussions with Kashmiri students in the city at a programme organised by Sarhad foundation on Monday. Replying to a question on how Kashmiri students often face difficulties in finding accommodation, he said, “Today, there is a lot of distrust between people from Kashmir and other states. This distrust has led to the difficulties Kashmiri students face while finding accommodation in other states.” “.irresponsible statements from some people and the behaviour of a few elements in the media have created a divide in our society — between Kashmiris and people from other states. This must end. We all have a stake in this. We must see that there is a mutual understanding between between people from Kashmir and the rest of India,” he added. On the need for building up trust in the minds of Kashmiri students, Sharma said, “If a Kashmiri student faces any problem, he/she should feel free to contact the police.” “In fact, today I had a discussion with Pune Police Commissioner Rashmi Shukla about this. The response has been positive. I have been insisting on this during my visits in other states too,” he added. During the interaction, a student shared how he was once “frisked” by the army in the Valley, Sharma said, “As far as a security check is concerned, the security forces have their constraints. It’s the demand of the situation. But, during my meetings with the army, the paramilitary forces and the police, I have been insisting on how the security forces should be polite with civilians. I do acknowledge that. Mistakes, however, do happen. We have to see that this behaviour is avoided.” One of the students shared how many Kashmiri youths want to study in different parts of the country, but very few scholarships support it. Sharma said he would push to bring more such scholarships. He added, “Even when it comes to tourism, Jammu and Kashmir has a tremendous potential. Not only in the Valley, in other parts of the state too. Harnessing this potential will also help in increasing the mutual understanding.,” he added. Putting to rest fears about striking the Article 35A, Sharma said, “The government has already clarified during the winter session of the parliament that it has no intention of abrogating the Article 35A. This should rest the debate surrounding it.”
