Condemning the disturbing incident of a Kashmiri student who was ragged and assaulted, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) today, Wednesday, February 19, sought the intervention of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the matter.
The student has been identified as Hamim, a second-year MBBS student from Anantnag, Kashmir, studying at Al-Ameen Medical College in Bijapur, Karnataka, according to a report by the Free Press Kashmir.
He was allegedly brutally ragged and physically assaulted by senior students from the 2019 batch. The association said that on Tuesday, February 18, around 4 pm Hamim went to the college playground to watch a cricket match between the 2019 and 2022 batches.
While standing near the boundary, a senior ordered him to stay outside. Without argument, he complied and continued watching from a distance. However, this was not the first time he had been confronted by seniors. Last year, during exams, a senior confronted him for not greeting him in the mess during dinner — an incident that foreshadowed the targeted harassment he would later endure.
National Convenor of the Association, Nasir Khuehami, who spoke to the victim, said that as the captain of the 2023 batch cricket team, Hamim found himself at the centre of a power struggle with senior students. When he attempted to stay near the field, the seniors ordered him to leave, claiming that the match was exclusively for the 2019-2022 batches.
When he refused to leave, insisting that he had every right to be there, the seniors confronted him and demanded an explanation for his ‘defiance.’
Physical ragging
Further, Nasir Khuehami said that what began as verbal intimidation quickly escalated into outright bullying. A group of seniors humiliated him and ordered him to perform an “Al-Ameen salute,” sing songs, and dance for their amusement.
Additionally, they even attempted to force him into their car, implying further harm. When he refused, asserting that such demands were both inappropriate and against college regulations, the situation became more volatile.
Sensing imminent danger, he took out his phone to record the incident, hoping it would deter them. Instead, this act of self-defence enraged them further.
Defence gone wrong
Later that evening, a group of six to eight people stormed into his hostel room and brutally assaulted him. They repeatedly beat him, forced him to record a video apologising under duress, and issued chilling threats: “You have four more years here. We are locals — imagine how terrible we can make your life.”
They issued death threats and warned him that he would not be allowed to play cricket for the next four years, stated the Free Press Kashmir.
CM intervention
The association sought Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s intervention to ensure strict action against the perpetrators and to safeguard the rights and safety of students, especially non-locals, in educational institutions.
“We urge the Chief Minister of Karnataka to personally intervene in this matter, ensure swift justice for the victim, and take strict action against those responsible to prevent such incidents from recurring in educational institutions,” it added.
