Saimah Bashir and Tabzeer Yaseen, International Journal of Research in Engineering, IT and Social Sciences, ISSN 2250-0588, Impact Factor: 6.565, Volume 08 Issue 08, August 2018, Page 123-126 Impact of Conflict on Higher Education in Kashmir: A Qualitative Analysis Saimah Bashir1 and Tabzeer Yaseen2 1(ICSSR Doctoral Fellow, Department of Political Science, University of Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir, India) 2(Assistant Professor of Political Science in the Higher Education Department, Jammu and Kashmir, India) Abstract: Jammu and Kashmir is the only state in India to have made education free for all its citizens from higher secondary upto university level. However, the literacy rate stands at 67.16% as per 2011 census which is far behind other states like Kerala and Mizoram. Apart from socio-economic factors responsible for the lower literacy rates, the outbreak of militancy has had a drastic impact on the educational sector. The aim of this paper is to analyze the institutional and qualitative impact of conflict on higher education in the state particularly after 1990’s and also provide solution to these problems. The methodology adopted will be textual and comparative. I. INTRODUCTION The Valley of Kashmir, also known as Raeshwaer (the land of saints) has been a centre of Sanskrit learning since ancient times. Owing to the works of authors like Rudrata (c.9th century), Somananda (900- 950), Ksemendra (c. 11th century), Ksemraja (1000-1050), Kalhana (c.12th century), Ksemraja (1000-1050), Lalleshwari (c. 14th century), the valley was flocked by scholars and students from the sub-continent and around. However, for majority of the populace, the mode of learning was through their respective indigenous institutions. The Brahmans had their own Pathshalas (traditional schools) where Sanskrit was taught for the sake of reading the traditional Hindu scriptures. One such Pathshala was established in Fateh Kadal area of Srinagar. (Zutshi, 2004:xv) In case of the Muslim population, madrassas and maktabs attached with mosques were used to teach Arabic so that they could read the Qur’an (the Holy Book of Muslims). There were no regular schools and pathshalas. (Biscoe,1998:23). Moreover, education was only imparted to boys. With the passage of time, owing to political instability on account of invasions by foreign rulers like Afghans and Sikhs, the education sector was affected drastically. Majority of the population was illiterate. The colonization of the Indian subcontinent under the Britisher’s changed the course of Kashmir’s history as when the infamous sale deed, the Treaty of Amritsar, was signed between Maharaja Gulab Singh and the British government in March 1846. Thereafter, Kashmir continued to be under the Dogra rule till it’s independence in 1947. Shift from Traditional to Modern Education The Dogra rule was marked by exploitation, heavy taxation, educational backwardness and the absence of prominent centers of learning. However with the opening up of the first school on modern lines in 1880 by the Christian Missionary Society of London, attaining formal education was no longer a distant dream. Modern education turned out men gifted with an entirely new outlook on life. This led to opening up of new opportunities and broadening of the way in to the coveted government services (Lawrence, 2005). However, for higher education the students were still required to go to Punjab but only a few families could afford to send their wards outside the state. It was during Maharaja Hari Singh’s reign that S.P. College (Shri Pratap College) became the first college affiliated to Banaras Hindu University to be established in Kashmir in 1905 which was followed by Amar Singh College in 1913. During this period there was not only quantitative expansion of education but also qualitative (Om, 1986: 48). The subsequent years saw a spurt in the number of students opting for higher education in Kashmir, however the lack of educational facilities was seen as a hindrance towards the same. It was the beginning of the era of independence movement spearheaded by the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference that opened new opportunities for education in Kashmir. The party published its ‘Naya Kashmir Manifesto’, which was a draft of the future constitution of Jammu and Kashmir after the abolition of monarchy. (Hassnain, 1988:122) The document promised to all citizens the right to education and mentioned education up to university level (Khan, 2005:158-159). After independence the overall scenario of the state changed significantly. The establishment of the democratic setup with a written constitution of its own, the state of Jammu and Kashmir saw a resurgence in various domains. Although it was a beginning of a new era of conflict as Kashmir to this day remains the legacy of the partition. Kashmir became the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan. (Bose, 2009:210) This opened a new phase in the history of the state with development and devolution going side by side. With the inception of the interim government in the state headed by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah as the first Prime Minister, a need for new educational policy and reforms was felt, also the realization became http://indusedu.org Page 123 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License Saimah Bashir and Tabzeer Yaseen, International Journal of Research in Engineering, IT and Social Sciences, ISSN 2250-0588, Impact Factor: 6.565, Volume 08 Issue 08, August 2018, Page 123-126 significant for the prospective success of democracy in Jammu and Kashmir. Understanding the importance of education, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah retained the ministry of education under his own domain. This led to the establishment of an Education Re-organization Committee in 1950, with A. A Kazmi as its chairman. The committee in its report came up with certain suggestions like the introduction of free education from pre-primary to the higher levels. (Brecher, 1953: 154) Owing to its recommendations, two colleges for women, one at Srinagar and another at Jammu were also established. Meanwhile efforts were also made to introduce the university level education in the state. In 1948,when government started an institute entrusted with the work of conducting examinations in Srinagar, Justice J. N Wazir was appointed as its Honorary Vice- Chancellor. With the increasing credibility of this institution and the acknowledgement of the need to establish a full-fledged university in the state, the institution got acclaimed as the first university of the state as The University of Jammu and Kashmir. However in 1969 the University was bifurcated into two universities as the University of Kashmir and the University of Jammu for the respective regions. Both the universities since then have been playing a pioneering role in promoting higher education in the state. Affiliated to these universities various degree colleges were also established in different districts of the state. Besides the National Institute of Technology (NIT) earlier known as the Regional Engineering College was also established in 1960 (later renamed as NIT in 2003).In 1961 another college for women, Nawakadal College, was established in the downtown area of Srinagar. With the developmental policies for the mainstream education in the state, the government also initiated to establishment a research and education institute for the agricultural sciences. In view of agriculture being a main source of livelihood for almost 80% of the population efforts were made by the government that came out as the Agriculture University and Technology Act passed in 1982. Thus Sher-i- Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology was established in 1982.However, in the coming years what fate had in store was certainly not something positive for educational development of the state. The political instability that emerged towards the end of 1980’s was a turning point in the history of the state. (Widmalm, 2002) Thus begins a new phase in the development of higher education in the state. Emergence of the Armed Phase of Conflict and its Impact upon Higher Education in the State Although the fact being that Kashmir as the legacy of the partition remained an unresolved conflict between India and Pakistan for more than six decades now. However the history and the nature of conflict or we can say the intensity of the conflict changed towards the beginning of 1990’s, when a new phase of the resistance by Kashmiri’s began. It was the beginning of the armed phase of the conflict. When violence and counter violence crept in, it smashed the entire edifice of the state. The following institutional lull that was evident created a breakdown of the entire state developmental projects including that in the education sector. (Letchamanan & Dhar, 2017). It was a challenging phase for the overall educational programme of the state. When education sector like other developmental ventures became susceptible to the political upheaval in the state, the challenges for a sound education policy and environment became multifold. During the armed phase generally called as militancy and the counter militancy programmes of the state, the education sector took a back turn resulting in a downward trend in the education developmental graph of the state. Many schools and colleges became the battle fields for both militants and the army men fighting each other, which would often result in the infrastructural damage or complete destruction of the educational institution. The resultant loss included also the fear psyche generated among the youth as well as the parents who would hesitate from sending their children to schools or colleges for a long time. (Montiel & Noor, 2009:74) With one decade of such gruesome turmoil in the valley an eerie calm could also be felt. This period saw some resurgence and backtrack of the developmental works including that in the higher education sector.