‘Privacy breach’ at AMU as Aligarh police seeks personal details of J&K students

Aligarh: Barely a week after a major clash was witnessed on the premises of Aligarh Muslim University involving Kashmiri students, the Aligarh police demanded personal details of J&K students enrolled in the varsity.

A circular, in possession of The Free Press Journal, directs all the heads of all the departments to make the details of Kashmiri students available to the police. The details which have been sought include the Name, Father's Name, current address, permanent address, and mobile number, along with details of courses and department.

However, the students have opposed the move calling it an act of privacy breach. The students said that the act is against the fundamental rights of the Constitution.

Meanwhile, the JK Students Association told FPJ that it has urged Home Minister of India Amit Shah, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister to withdraw the circular profiling Jammu and Kashmiri students issued by AMU on the directions of Aligarh Police.

The National Convenor of Association Nasir Khuehami said that Aligarh Police is seeking information of 14,00 JK students enrolled in AMU. This is a discriminatory move, breaching the privacy of JK students and clearly goes against the spirit of the Constitution. JK students studying at AMU have opposed this move and termed it an “act of snooping” on them.

He said that Aligarh Muslim University has been asked to immediately provide details of the students hailing from Jammu and Kashmir. AMU has asked different departments to furnish details on Jammu and Kashmir students. The circular says ‘please attend this on priority as information is to be provided to Superintendent Police Aligarh’.

Khuehami said, this move is discriminatory towards students of Jammu and Kashmiri students. While no students of other states or Union territories of India are asked to furnish such details, why only J&K students are asked for such details? He said the profiling of J&K students will serve an impediment and obstacle to the integration of Jammu and Kashmiri youth to India. Such measures alienate and estrange the youth of Kashmir in general and students studying across India in particular.

The profiling has caused skepticism among students and has thrown them into anxiety. Such measures are causing immense vexation to Kashmiri students studying in AMU. It is strange that the authorities chose to target only Jammu and Kashmiri students. Was it to suggest that our students are different from the rest of the country? Khuehami asked AMU Administration.

National Spokesperson of the Association Ummar Jamal also requested Home Minister of India Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath to post-haste look into the matter and take immediate steps to revoke the discriminatory circular. Ummar requested them that no sort of profiling of JK students should be done at AMU because this makes Kashmiri students feel that they are strange.

“We request Home Minister to Kindly intervene in the matter and issue directions for cessation of the unfair profiling of Jammu and Kashmiri students so that the students continue their studies hassle-free without difficulty” Ummar added.

Published on: Wednesday, January 04, 2023, 12:53 PM IST