NEW DELHI: Jamia Millia Islamia shifted classes online on Saturday after students protesting for the restoration of campus students’ union elections clashed with security guards who allegedly attempted to dismantle their protest tents, escalating tensions on the university campus.
Besides shifting the classes to online mode, the university also announced the closure of Dr Zakir Hussain Library and the old library from October 24 onwards.
The confrontation took place as students, including those on a hunger strike, continued their protest that began on October 12.
The students have been demanding the restoration of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU), which was disbanded in 2006 following campus violence that led to academic disruptions.
The clash erupted when security personnel, who had been monitoring the protest, moved to remove the tents where the students had gathered. The All India Students’ Association (AISA) alleged that the university administration had cracked down on the protesting students without provocation. The administration, however, refuted the allegations.
The developments came a day after the university administration issued a two-page appeal to the protesting students on Friday night, urging them to call off their agitation so that a decision on the election schedule could be taken.
The administration’s appeal followed nearly two weeks of protests over the absence of an elected students’ union on campus for almost two decades.
Meanwhile, Jamia Registrar Mahtab Alam Rizvi alleged that the visit of Congress MPs Imran Pratapgarhi and Imran Masood to the campus on Friday had disturbed the university’s environment and provoked the students. He accused the leaders of using the students as “cannon fodder” for political narratives and said a complaint had been filed with the Delhi Police.
Student Ebin Basil rejected the administration’s allegations regarding the visit, saying the MPs were elected representatives of the people. He also alleged that the university administration was attempting to create a dramatic situation while trying to persuade the students to end their strike.
“We strongly condemn those slogans. Our demand remains simple and clear: hold student union elections,” Basil added, referring to controversial anti-national slogans that appeared on campus walls and triggered demands by the BJP for an investigation. The slogans were linked to Jammu and Kashmir.
The demand for elections has also received support from CPI(M) MP John Brittas, who wrote to Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi on October 21, highlighting the absence of an elected students’ union at Jamia for nearly two decades. He cited constitutional provisions on freedom of speech and association, University Grants Commission guidelines and the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations on student elections.