Jamia Millia Islamia Students, Guards Clash During Protest, Classes Moved Online

Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia has moved classes online after protesters, who have been demanding the reintroduction of student union election on the campus, clashed with guards today.

Chaos erupted after guards who had been monitoring the protesting students began moving in to remove tents under which the students had gathered, including some who had been on a hunger strike.

The registrar of the university in south Delhi alleged that the actions of two Congress leaders who visited the campus yesterday riled up the students and made them cannon fodder for political narratives.

The student protesters have been seeking, specifically, the restoration of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students' Union (JMISU) which was disbanded in 2006 due to campus violence that led to academic disruptions.

In a letter to Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi on October 21, CPI(M) MP John Brittas highlighted the absence of an elected union for nearly two decades. He cited constitutional provisions guaranteeing freedom of speech and association, University Grants Commission guidelines on students' entitlements and the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations on student elections.

Jamia Registrar Mahtab Alam Rizvi alleged the incident happened a day after Congress MPs Imran Pratapgarhi and Imran Masood sneaked into the campus by jumping over a wall and disturbed the campus environment.

Razvi added a complaint has been filed with the Delhi Police.

Reacting to the action taken by the guards, Pratapgarhi said that the university administration, "intimidated by the movement of Jamia's brave students, had to concede defeat in the face of the students' unity when it tried to forcibly remove the students who were on a hunger strike."

"The dictatorial Jamia administration will have to realize that this time, every attempt to intimidate the students will fail. If needed in support of the students, I will return to Jamia again," he added. 

The protest on the campus began on October 12. Earlier today, the communist student group AISA alleged the Jamia administration cracked down without any provocation on students who have been on a hunger strike.

The administration has refuted the allegations.

Another issue that raised tension on the campus was the appearance of anti-national slogans on the walls of the university, after which the BJP demanded an investigation. The slogans were linked to Jammu and Kashmir.

However, a student of the university, Abin Basil, alleged that the contentious slogans were planted at the behest of the university allegations. "We strongly condemn those slogans. Our demand remains simple and clear: hold student union elections," said Basil. 

"The university administration is putting on a dramatic show of trying to persuade us to call off the strike. Today, professors and security personnel tried to dismantle and remove our protest tent," he added. 

When asked about whether the visit by MPs affected the atmosphere in the campus, Basil said, "Their visit is not ruining the atmosphere. They are our MPs, our Lok Sabha members. How could their visit ruin the atmosphere?"