SMVDIME admission row: Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti to launch agitation from Nov 29
Jammu, Nov 27: Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti (SMVDSS), a conglomerate of around 60 social, religious organisations and political groups constituted to protest against the “admission of a large number of non-Hindu candidates in SMVDIME”, has announced to launch an agitation on this issue from November 29.
Samiti has also drawn up a plan to intensify, what it has stated, “its peaceful movement” regarding the issue.
The announcement was made after chalking out a strategy during a meeting, chaired by the Sangharsh Samiti’s convenor, Colonel Sukhbir Singh Mankotia, held on Thursday at Geeta Bhawan.
The committee was formed earlier this week after the row erupted over the issue of admissions in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), established and funded by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, where 42 students out of total 50, selected for admission were from a specific community.
Demand is being raised by the Samiti and alike groups that as SMVDIME is run by the donations from the members of Hindu community, the students from the community should have a primary right in admissions.
During the Sangharsh Samiti meeting, it was unanimously decided that on November 29, the Committee and its associated organisations would hold a protest at Raghunath Chowk, Jammu.
“Before the protest, the convenor and office-bearers of supporting organisations will seek the blessings of Bhagwan Raghunath and formally announce the onset of the movement,” Col Mankotia stated, following the meeting.
He stated that during the meeting, six additional teams were constituted to allocate responsibilities for different tasks.
“Besides the legal team and drafting team, other teams formed will coordinate outreach to religious leaders and saints, political parties and their leadership, business organisations, educational institutions, students, and women,” it was decided during the meeting.
The legal team includes advocates Deepak Sharma, Rohan Nanda, Abhinav Sharma, Pranav Kohli, and Inderjeet.
“The team, responsible for contacting religious leaders and saints, includes Abhishek Gupta, Sushant, and Khetarpal. The team assigned to reach out to political parties comprises Purushottam Dadhichi, Neeraj Anand, and Colonel Sukhbir Singh Mankotia. The team, connecting with business organisations, includes Arun Gupta, president of Chamber of Commerce, and Deepak Gupta, president of Warehouse Traders Association,” it was informed.
The team, formed to involve educational institutions, students, and women in the movement, includes Shilpi Verma, Preeti Chaudhary and Akshi Baloria.
The responsibility for the petition drafting committee has been assigned to C M Seth and Inderjeet.
Admission issue has snowballed into a major controversy with almost all the political parties including BJP, NC, Congress, PDP, besides other socio-religious groups, have joined the cause with their respective competing stances of "matter of faith" and "legal rights of meritorious students".
