Two days after a scuffle broke out between two groups of students of the Government Medical College (GMC) in Jammu over the recently released film The Kerala Story, students claimed that the administration has "taken selective action" by rusticating those students who were beaten up.
"Have received distressing calls from GMC Jammu, reporting that a group of Kashmiri students have been injured as a result of a recent altercation over The Kerala Story issue," a students association leader tweeted on 15 May.
GMC Jammu took action against 10 students, including six Kashmiri students, on Monday, 15 May.
The argument started on Sunday evening as a first-year student shared a link of "must-watch" film The Kerala Story on a students’ WhatsApp group, which was objected to by several of his batchmates, saying, "Please do not propagate hatred and negativity in this group."
The difference grew into a scuffle on Sunday night, during which at least five students were injured. Of them, Haseeb, a final-year MBBS student suffered a serious head injury and received 13 stitches on his head. Two FIRs have been registered in the matter while 10 students have been rusticated from the hostel for two months, as per a statement from the college.
They have been barred from attending classes till the completion of the inquiry by the disciplinary committee that has been set up to examine the case.
On 15 May, former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti tweeted about the incident:
What Led to the Scuffle at GMC on Sunday Night?
As per the students that The Quint spoke to, the argument started on an “official” WhatsApp group which was created for sharing study material only.
As per screenshots of the WhatsApp group accessed by The Quint, a student named Deepak Chandiyal shared a link to The Kerala Story. Underneath the link, he wrote – "A Must Watch For Woke People”
The Kerala Story, a feature film directed by Sudipto Sen which hit the theatres on 5 May, has been at the centre of a political storm in Kerala and other parts of India.
The film's claim that "approximately 32,000 women" in the state were radicalised and coerced into joining the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) had invited the wrath of the state's CPI(M) and Opposition Congress, who had said "the movie was an attempt to destroy the communal harmony of the state" – and should be banned from screening in the state.
"Don't need these kind of controversial messages in the group," a student wrote. "This is an educational group. No scope here for any religious or political or whatsoever issues (sic)," another student responded to Chandiyal's message on the WhatsApp group.
"We are MBBS students... be students. This filmy propaganda will vanish communal harmony. So please don't propagate hatred and negativity," wrote Arif Gul, another first-year student hailing from Anantnag in Kashmir.
Following the argument on WhatsApp, Chandiyal threatened Gul on the phone, a second-year student alleged to The Quint on the condition of anonymity.
It is pertinent to note that apart from first-year MBBS students, members of the college administration are also a part of the WhatsApp group, students told The Quint.
'Outsiders Barged In, Switched Off Lights, Thrashed Us'
“Some of us Kashmiri students had gone for a picnic. When we returned to the hostel on Sunday evening, Chandiyal and some non-Muslim seniors were looking for us. We managed to get to our rooms but suddenly a scuffle broke out in the hostel,” a first-year student told The Quint on condition of anonymity.
The students claimed that many Kashmiri and Non-Muslim seniors got into a scuffle even as things got out of hand. Meanwhile, a few students had marched from the hostel to the college to stage a protest on the intervening night of 14 and 15 May, demanding an intervention from college administration on issues that disturb communal harmony and action against repeat defaulters.
As per the students, during the protest, a former student, who is familiar with the boy's hostel, JP Singh, brought in “outsiders” and “hired goons” who were carrying weapons, the second-year student alleged to The Quint.
He further claimed that members of a right-wing group were brought into the hostel from outside, who shouted religious slogans.
“They started an altercation with the protesters. Meanwhile, they switched off the lights of the hostel and targeted Kashmiri students there too,” the student alleged.
At that time, a final-year MBBS student Haseeb, who hails from Bhaderwah in Jammu, was beaten up badly, allegedly by outsiders who came with weapons.
“He was hit with a glass bottle on the head. Then, he was repeatedly hit with a lock on the head. He received 13 stitches,” the second-year student told The Quint.
"It was a deliberate attempt to disturb harmony. People have different opinions regarding the controversial film and everyone is free to decide if they want to watch it or not," the student said further.
FIRs Filed, Students Rusticated From Hostel, Debarred From Taking Classes
"There has been a scuffle between some students and outsiders in GMC hostel Jammu. Cognisance of the matter has been taken and investigation is going on," the SSP Chandan Kohli told news agency PTI.
The J&K Police have filed two FIRs at the Bakshi Nagar police station in Jammu, as per Nasir Khuehami, who is the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association National Convenor.
According to Khuehami, the first FIR has been lodged against the students involved in the clash under sections 147 (punishment for rioting) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of Indian Penal Code (IPC). Meanwhile, the second FIR has been filed against former student (JP Singh), under sections 451 (trespass to commit an offence punishable with imprisonment) and 323 of the IPC.
“The authorities have stated that strict action will be taken against those who are found guilty of such behavior. The police have launched a manhunt to apprehend the attackers, and the main accused JP and Chandiyal are expected to be arrested soon,” ADGP Mukesh Singh told mediapersons on 15 May.
Former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also tweeted about the incident and demanded that those responsible be brought to book.
Meanwhile, GMC Jammu Principal Dr Shashi Sharma told The Quint, “It was a minor scuffle and everything is under control now. The Disciplinary Committee is doing its job. 10 students have been rusticated."
"As per the report of the wardens of the boys hostel, 10 students (involved in the scuffle) have been rusticated from the hostel for two months and also debarred from attending the classes till the completion of the inquiry by the disciplinary committee of the institute," Sharma said in a statement to the media.
She added that the report of the hostel warden has been forwarded to the disciplinary committee of the institution for inquiry, which has to be completed within seven days.
'Receiving Threat Calls From Unknown Numbers'
“None of the repeat offenders have been rusticated. No action has been taken against them. We are receiving threat calls from unknown numbers. We are scared to even step out of our hostel rooms,” the second year student alleged.
He said that of those who have been suspended from the college for two months, six are Kashmiri students. “Of the six, four had protested in college, while two were injured. One of them is Haseeb, who suffered a serious head injury and 13 stitches on the head,” the student claimed.
He said that of those who have been suspended from the college for two months, six are Kashmiri students. “Of the six, four had protested in college, while two were injured. One of them is Haseeb, who suffered a serious head injury and 13 stitches on the head,” the student claimed.
He claimed that currently there is no warden or security guard at the hostel premises. "Guards are only present outside the gate," alleged the student.
The student claimed that there are increasing demands among Kashmiri students to relocate them to medical colleges in the Valley as they are worried about their safety.
“The situation has been tense here for the last two years. Both the groups have been at loggerheads since the India-Pakistan cricket match during the T20 World Cup in October 2021. At that time, certain students celebrating a team’s victory had led to clashes. Now, the film has stirred passions among the students,” a senior student told The Quint on condition of anonymity.
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