Political Fault Lines Deepen in J&K Over Law University Location
A major controversy has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir over the proposed National Law University. The dispute has sharply divided political opinion between the Union territory's two main regions. Politicians from the Kashmir valley are now openly accusing Jammu-based groups of practicing discrimination.
Demands for Regional Split Emerge
Peoples Conference president Sajad Lone made the most dramatic statement in this escalating conflict. The MLA for Handwara in north Kashmir suggested that perhaps the time has come for an amicable divorce between the regions. He expressed his frustration on Wednesday, stating that Jammu has become the proverbial stick to beat Kashmiris with.
Lone questioned what he described as Jammu's obsessive opposition to development projects in Kashmir. He argued that one region cannot continuously slander Kashmiris while petitioning the rest of the country with claims that only Jammu supports the nation.
Jammu Groups Push for Campus Location Change
The controversy began when the Jammu High Court Bar Association and BJP functionaries demanded that the NLU campus be established in Jammu instead of Budgam district in central Kashmir. Budgam was the originally planned location where operations were scheduled to begin this year.
Law students from Jammu University have warned they will launch protests if the NLU is not located in Jammu. Former minister Sham Lal Sharma of the BJP defended Jammu's right to raise this issue. He urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to think beyond Kashmir and act as the CM of all Jammu and Kashmir.
Chief Minister Rejects Jammu Demands
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah firmly rejected the BJP's demand for moving the NLU to Jammu. He pointed out that Jammu already hosts prestigious institutions like an IIT and an IIM. The Chief Minister noted that no questions of regional balance were raised when those institutions were established in Jammu.
Omar Abdullah emphasized that it was premature to allege discrimination since no final decision on the NLU's location had been taken yet. He also commented on the recent closure of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence, suggesting it was shut down on religious grounds rather than the official reasons cited.
Compromise Proposal and Broader Context
The Jammu bar association initially pressed for the NLU to be shifted entirely to Jammu. However, they modified their position on Wednesday by proposing a compromise solution. They suggested establishing three separate NLUs—one each in Jammu, Ladakh, and Kashmir regions.
Sham Lal Sharma backed either a Jammu campus or separate NLUs for both regions. He emphasized that the Chief Minister should consider the interests of all areas equally when making such important decisions.
Medical Institute Closure Fuels Tensions
The NLU dispute gained significant momentum after last week's developments involving medical education. The National Medical Commission withdrew permission for the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence located near Katra in the Jammu region.
This move followed protests by BJP politicians and right-wing Hindu groups over admissions to the institute's first batch. Of the fifty selected students, forty-two came from the Kashmir valley and were Muslim. Protesters argued that an institute funded by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board should admit only students who have faith in the goddess Vaishno Devi.
Celebrations in parts of Jammu after the medical institute's closure further intensified demands to shift the law university southward. This sequence of events has created a volatile political atmosphere in the region, with development projects becoming flashpoints for deeper regional tensions.
The controversy highlights how educational institutions have become symbols in the ongoing political struggle between Jammu and Kashmir. What began as a dispute over a university location has evolved into a broader debate about regional representation, development equity, and political power sharing in the Union territory.
