NEW DELHI: Three years after the police crackdown at the university campus, Jamia Millia Islamia students can still clearly recall the sound of police boots, the cries for help, and students being paraded outside the campus.
On December 2019, students of the university organised a peaceful demonstration against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. However, the demonstration quickly descended into violence as protesters were lathi-charged and police allegedly fired tear gas into the university library.
Md Minhajuddin, a PhD student who lost vision in one eye during the crackdown, said the experience left an irreparable imprint on his life as he lost a valuable part of his body. The research scholar recalled the day and said, “I still remember that day as if it were yesterday. That day, after eating my lunch, I went to the Old Library to study. Around 6:30 pm, I heard from my colleague that police entered the campus.”
He further continued to say that they locked the door from the inside for our safety. “The police forcefully entered the library room and began caning students ruthlessly, and it was then when I was injured on my eye and started bleeding,” said Minhajuddin.
He later learned from doctors that he had lost vision in one eye. Like him, Prabhat Tiwari, another student who was present on campus on December 15, said, “I was having lunch at the campus when I heard that a DTC bus was set ablaze near the Mathura road. Considering the sensitive nature of the situation, all students tried to leave the campus, but the police began making the entry right away.”
I was lucky that I safely escaped from the University campus but the way the police paraded the students outside the campus is horrific for me as a student, he said. After losing visibility, Mijhuaddin faced difficulty in reading and even crossing roads. Talking about his daily challenges he said because of vision loss, at times he stumbled on people in crowded places.
Peaceful protest took violent turn
On December 2019, students of the university organised a peaceful demonstration against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. However, the demonstration quickly descended into violence as protesters were lathi-charged and police allegedly fired tear gas into the university library. Md Minhajuddin, a PhD student who lost vision in one eye during the crackdown, said the experience left an irreparable imprint on his life as he lost a valuable body part.