Agitation at Jamia Milia Islamia University over demands to restore Students Union intensified as several physical altercation involving protestors and Delhi Police personnel, heavy sloganeering, and detentions marked the 14th day of the stir as standoff between University administration and protesting students continued.
Several episodes of arguments and altercation broke out between students and security personnel throughout the day over closed university gates. Hundreds of Delhi Police and paramilitary forces remain stationed around the varsity.
After deciding to move all classes online, the Jamia administration on Sunday shut all gates of the university campus. Shutdown extended to libraries and canteens as well. IGNOU students were informed of an alternate regional centre in Jasola to submit their assignments through a notice stuck near a university gate.
Cops shooed away students every time they gathered at the gates or as bystanders around the iron boundary of the premises.
At about 4 PM on Gate 7 of the campus, a handful of female students staged a flashed demonstration demanding cops to open the door. Soon after, at least one of them was detained after a spell of physical altercation, which included them getting dragged on the road.
Earlier at 2 PM on Gate 4, an argument broke out between students and police over the former not being allowed to get in despite having University’s ID card.
Protesting students raised anti-Delhi Police and anti-Jamia administration slogans to oppose the clampdown, seen by them as measures to stop the protest from snowballing any further.
A student inside the campus, requesting anonymity, alleged, “they have shut down electricity and water supply to the hostels to force us to end this stir. But we are not getting deterred until our demands are met.”
Another student who wasn’t allowed to go inside despite being a genuine student of the varsity said, “In our own University I am not being allowed to enter. This is completely wrong. Shame on the administration.”
Protests in the campus began on October 12, with the backing of several student groups like NSUI and AISA. Students Union has been defunct at Jamia since 2006 i.e, for 20 years. Students say to resolve students grievances it is essential to have a union that has representatives elected by them.
On October 18, University administration constituted a committee to make the Constitution of the union within two months and requested protesting students to call off their stir and allow normalcy to return to the campus.
However, agitation students stress on a date for elections, believing that committee formation is a delaying tactic.
Meanwhile, University faculty members and other staff, around 1,500, staged a counter protest march for a second consecutive day on Sunday.