Kashmiri Nursing Students At DBU Face Assault, Legal Battles; University Staff Including VC Booked In Cheating Case

Accused chancellor Zora Singh, his relative Tejinder Kaur, university vice-president Harshdeep Singh, HK Sidhu, security in-charge Darshan Singh and seven others by name, and half a dozen unnamed persons booked under relevant sections of IPC

 Disturbing accounts have come to light regarding the harsh treatment and intimidation that Kashmiri nursing students at Deshbhakt University (DBU) in Punjab have endured.

The students, who have been protesting for over a week, allege physical assaults, character assassination, intimidation, and even life threats from the university staff. The matter escalated when a First Information Report (FIR) was filed against 16 Kashmiri students accused of clashing with the police.

One distressed student, who preferred anonymity due to fear of reprisals from the university's administration, narrated how their protest began on September 8. It centered on the university's failure to provide education in a recognized institution, instead relocating them to another campus, Sardar Lal Singh Memorial College, which, despite being within DBU, lacks official registration.

Sardar Lal Singh Memorial College operates under DBU Punjab's umbrella but lacks affiliation with the Indian Nursing Council (INC).
Students who spoke to Free Press Journal shared their grievances, stating that despite their legitimate demands, the university responded with excessive force, resorting to physical assaults and baton charges to remove them from the premises.

"Many of us sustained injuries when university staff, both men and women, resorted to physical violence and forcibly removed us from the protest site because we were demanding education under a registered institution," another student explained, expressing concern about potential repercussions from the university.

The students claimed that while the university had promised to address the issue, it remained unattended for a year since they first learned that their campus was not registered with INC.

The core problem lies in the university's apparent disregard for the Indian Nursing Council's (INC) prescribed seat allocation, which designated only 100 seats for nursing courses. Despite the students consistently voicing concerns about additional admissions, university staff dismissed these concerns as minor and within the university's purview.

The issue originated in the 2020 academic session when all students were admitted to Desh Bhagat Institute of Nursing following standard procedures. First-year classes and clinical training were conducted for both male and female students together.

However, after the first annual exams, the university administration separated the female students from the original batch and transferred them to another college, Sardar Lal Singh Institute of Nursing.

Importantly, this institution was not on INC's suitability list for the 2020 session, and this decision was made without student or parental consent.
The university falsely claimed it was a mere separation of sections rather than institutions, violating rules established by the state nursing council Punjab Nurses Registration Council (PNRC) and INC.

In 2022, Sardar Lal Singh Memorial College was established, and all female students from the original batch were transferred, excluding two Prime Minister's Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) students.

The administration altered student records from the original university to the temporary establishment and prepared new admission files without student knowledge, even forging their signatures.

Frustrated and feeling deceived, the nursing students launched a four-day protest to seek resolution. The university administration remained unresponsive until the involvement of Punjab police and Sub-District Magistrate Amloh. They presented documents, including INC registration, PNRC registration, and college IDs, prepared by the DBU administration itself.

However, on the third day of the protest, a fabricated notification claiming that DBU had been blacklisted by the Jammu and Kashmir Paramedical Council was unveiled. In addition to threats of delaying students' degrees and tarnishing their reputations, the administration warned of misleading students' parents if they joined the protest.

Following four days of protest, an agreement was reached with the DBU administration and SDM Amloh, but it failed to satisfy the students, as DBU later asserted that "INC has no role in recognizing the institute and allotting the seats."

Despite their persistent struggle, the students were promised INC suitability for the 2020 session, which has not yet been granted for Sardar Lal Singh College.

When the students approached the administration again, they were advised to pray for INC recognition and take any necessary action. Subsequently, they filed a complaint against the DBU administration at Amloh police station.

Numerous meetings were held, but the DBU administration continued to push for a compromise, leaving the students with no choice but to initiate a peaceful protest against the university.

On September 14, the students exercised their legal right to protest against the university staff, whom they felt had deceived them. Their peaceful demonstration faced excessive force, with university authorities reportedly summoning local individuals and bouncers to suppress the students.

Local police involvement exacerbated the situation, as they aligned with the university authorities and treated the students as criminals.

“During the protest, the entire DBU administration, including the Chancellor and Pro Chancellor, participated in the assault, with police officers conducting a harsh lathi charge on both male and female students,” another student told FPJ.

The students have identified the individuals involved in the administration's aggressive response and are calling for a thorough investigation. They are demanding strict action against the police officers, DBU administration, and local goons hired by the university.

"In the face of adversity, we, the nursing students of the 2020 batch, particularly the female students, continue our fight for justice, determined to see our grievances addressed and our futures secured," emphasized another student who experienced the assault and received injuries.

Last week, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association wrote to Dileep Kumar, President of the Indian Nursing Council (INC), regarding the transfer of Kashmiri students to Sardar Lal Singh College without their consent and the physical assault they endured from university staff. On Saturday, following verification of details, police filed charges against the Chancellor of DBU, Zora Singh, and seven others, including allegations of cheating and criminal breach of trust, as per an FIR copy in the possession of FPJ.

Deputy Superintendent of Police G S Bains briefed the media that a case filed against protesting students a few days prior would be withdrawn. Police had previously charged several students after clashes with university security personnel.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, vehemently condemned the lathi charging and assault on the students. She urged the Chief Minister of Punjab to promptly address the situation and conduct a comprehensive investigation, emphasizing that such actions are unwarranted and serve to further alienate the Kashmiri community.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) also demanded severe action against the university authorities for their physical attack on the students. SAD Chief Sukhbir Singh Badal engaged with a protesting student through a video call and vowed SAD's support if state police failed to take action. He stated that they would approach the high court to secure justice for the aggrieved students. Multiple videos circulating on social media depict Kashmiri students being physically assaulted, dragged, and verbally abused by individuals associated with the university.

Responding to a letter from the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA), addressed to India's Minister for Health and Medical Education Mansukh Mandaviya and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Punjab government established a committee comprising administrative officials, police personnel, and university representatives.
JKSA Convener Nasir Khuehami informed FPJ that students were enrolled in Sardar Lal Singh College without their permission or consent. This unilateral decision by the university has persisted since last year, affecting approximately 500 students from Jammu and Kashmir.