Exchange program for students of valley: An optimistic outlook towards national integration!
Ajay Kumar*
Recent announcement and the inking of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), GoI and the State of Jammu and Kashmir on exchange program for students of Jammu Kashmir is an important step towards integrating and accommodating the students of Jammu and Kashmir especially in the wake of recent attacks on these students studying in other states.
This exchange program for students of Jammu and Kashmir must be applauded and welcomed by the student community as well as the civil society cutting across the states. In line with the reaffirmation of “healing touch policy” of present NDA led Govt. at centre, announcement of such an educational exchange program would strengthen the confidence among the students of Jammu and Kashmir aspiring to study other parts of the country such as IISER’s, IIT’s, IISc’s or other Institutes of national repute.
The exchange program seeks to instill a feeling of fraternity, integrity among the students of J & K and would aim to acquaint them with culture, traditions, values, and language and development stories of different parts of the country. This would not only be a one way traffic but, would also give a chance to the denizens of other states to openly interact with the students hailing from J & K. This would enable forgo the apprehensions that people from other states hold and the negative narratives created about the northern most Himalayan state of India.
The initiative will promote exchange of cultures, traditions, languages et al. among different states, the students from valley will spread their culture and in return would be imbibed with the practices, traditions et. al. from other states. Since the program is a two way exchange, this would also provide a platform for students visiting from other states to know the vast diversity, beauty and scenic of the state.
In long run, this program will enable breaking isolations and resolving differences, clarifying doubts regarding the state of affairs of Jammu and Kashmir. People across different states especially those who have never met Kashmiris or have never visited Kashmir mostly generalize Jammu and Kashmir based on the mainstream media and the political narratives created in the air. And they judge people of Jammu and Kashmir as antinational or separatists simply through a narrow prism on the media reports.
Such programs become all the more important at a time when the people of Jammu and Kashmir are against the tinkering of article 370 or 35A of the Constitution. Since the special provisions of the article 35A prohibits people from other states from purchasing property in J & K, many of the students of the state are not much exposed to the outside world, even the prohibitory provisions in the Article 35 for the people of other states from taking jobs in J & K also makes the state completely isolated. Cultural amalgamation of societies among different states, understanding each other, knowing the language of a different state as envisioned in the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) program of the MHRD will also strengthened the idea of one India and integrated India. As per the initial reports, since this exchange program would be a part of EBSB, it would provide a platform for students of Jammu and Kashmir to celebrate the Unity in Diversity of our Nation, promote the spirit of national integration through a deep and structured engagement with other Indian States and Union Territories, showcase the rich heritage and culture, customs and traditions of Jammu and Kashmir for enabling people to understand and appreciate the diversity, establish long-term engagements and, create an environment which promotes learning between J & K and other states by sharing best practices and experiences. All these objectives are a part of EBSB, but equally hold true for this particular exchange program as well.
Exchange of humans would not only have implications on the personal growth of the students, human exchange also lead to diffusion of cultures, values, languages and traditions across the states. This would further act as a step in promotion of communal harmony, tolerance and fraternity among the people of different regions. The conclusion of a “Maitreyi Yatra”, Jammu & Kashmir Student Exchange program on 18th January 2018 is an initiation towards right direction in connecting people of J & K with the mainstream India. This program provided opportunity for the 500 students of J & K. Such programs along with Indian Army’s Sadhbavana and other programs such as EBSB would really help students of Jammu and Kashmir to come to mainstream, this would also make people of other states more accommodative and more welcoming towards the students of vale.
There is a beauty in differences but there is more beauty in appreciating differences. This program would also enable students learn differences and commonalities and appreciate each of them.
* Author is an Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Science, Central University of Kerala and Ph.D. Scholar, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
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