By Advocate Heena Sultan

The recent protests in Jammu over the proposed location of the National Law University (NLU) have opened a debate that goes far beyond the question of where a campus should stand. Students have taken to the streets, voices have been raised, and a sense of discontent has found its way into the public discourse. On the surface, it appears to be a demand for equitable development. But if we look closer, what we are witnessing is something far more painful: the gradual weakening of the bond that holds this region together.

Let us first address the decision itself. The choice to establish the NLU in Kashmir was not an act of favouritism. It was not a message that one region matters more than the other. It was a decision based on practical considerations—climate, geography, infrastructure, and the need to distribute educational institutions evenly across the region. Kashmir, like Jammu, deserves its share of premier institutions. An NLU in Kashmir does not belong exclusively to Kashmiris. It belongs to every student from the plains of Jammu to the valleys of the North.

What makes the current protest so striking is the silence that accompanied past developments. When the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) was established in Jammu, did the people of Kashmir take to the streets? When the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) came up in Jammu, were there demonstrations in the Valley? No. Kashmir celebrated because they saw those institutions as ours, not theirs. They understood that development anywhere in the region is development for the entire region.

If Jammu can rightfully claim IIT and IIM as regional victories, why can't it extend the same courtesy to Kashmir for the NLU? To demand everything for one side while offering nothing to the other is not regional pride—it is regional selfishness.

And this is where we must pause and reflect on what we are losing.

If we stop seeing this as a competition and start seeing it as an opportunity, a beautiful truth emerges. When students from Jammu go to Kashmir for their education, they will not just study law—they will live in Kashmiri homes, eat Kashmiri food, and celebrate Eid with their neighbours.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelThey will walk through the streets of Srinagar and experience the culture their grandparents only heard about in stories.

Similarly, when students from Kashmir come to Jammu for institutions like IIT and IIM, they will experience the rich Dogra heritage. They will celebrate Lohri, taste the famous Rajma-Chawal, and realize that the "other side" is not so different after all.

This is how harmony is built. Not through political speeches. Not through social media campaigns. But through young people living together, learning together, and discovering that we share the same dreams, the same hopes, and the same land.

We often say with pride Jammu Kashmir hai, aur Kashmir Jammu hai. But moments like this reveal a painful truth—while the land is united, our hearts are not. We do not feel the pain of our brothers across the mountains. We do not feel pride when they achieve something great. We have lost the sense of belongingness—the feeling that if one part of the region grows, we all grow.

Let us be very clear This is not about denying Jammu an NLU forever. If the need arises, another NLU should absolutely be built in Jammu tomorrow. There is room for all of us. There is space for every dream. But we must stop treating every institution like a trophy to be won in a regional tug-of-war.

Let us celebrate each other's festivals.

Let us love each other without politics.

Let us live without regionalism, without communalism, without division.

Because at the end of the day, whether we study in Jammu or Kashmir, we are all students of the same soil. We are one family, and we will remain one.

About the Author

Heena Sultan is an advocate by profession and an activist by passion. She writes on issues of social justice, animal welfare, and community responsibility. The views expressed are her own.


For feedback or publication inquiries, please contact:  loneheena30@gmail.com