NEW DELHI: Taking inspiration from student protests at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and Maulana Azad National Urdu University, three students of Jamia Millia Islamia have launched an indefinite hunger strike demanding the restoration of the students’ union and the holding of elections, which were discontinued on the campus in 2006.
The hunger strike began on October 12 at Gate No. 18, the designated protest site on the campus. However, after student Jasim was allegedly picked up and left at Sukhdev Vihar, the protesters shifted their demonstration to Gate No. 7, near the statue of poet Mirza Ghalib, where the campaign for the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU) has gained visibility.
On Tuesday, police personnel, including women police officers, were stationed outside Gate No. 7. Entry into the university campus was being strictly regulated, with visitors required to produce their identity cards.
“Three students. No food. One demand,” read a message circulated by the campaign, calling for the restoration of student democracy at Jamia.
The three students who are on hunger strike include Jasim Khan, a student of Master’s in International Studies; Najmul, a BTech student; and Ebin, a BA LLB student.
Speaking to the newspaper, Jasim Khan said, “We have gathered courage after a long time, and this protest to demand a basic right as a student was much needed. Also, it shows how the university can’t even tolerate 100 students protesting peacefully within the campus. The moment our hunger strike started, I was forcefully picked up, and now, throughout the day, police are stationed outside the gate, and 50 guards from the entire campus are guarding us.”
The campaign is urging students and others to extend solidarity to the hunger strikers, describing the protest as a collective movement for student representation and participation in campus decision-making.
The agitation comes amid renewed student mobilisation around the demand for elected student bodies at universities. At AMU, the administration recently announced students’ union elections for the 2026-27 academic session following a 20-day student protest. The university has also replaced its proctor, Mohammad Naveed Khan, with Mohammad Nafees Ahmed Ansari, a professor in the Department of Political Science.
Jamia students have been seeking the restoration of an elected union for nearly two decades. The campaign has also drawn inspiration from student mobilisation at Maulana Azad National Urdu University. The students’ union elections were abolished at Jamia in 2006, and since then, many student organisations have submitted memorandums to the officials, but to no effect.
The protesters argue that an elected union would provide students with a formal platform to raise grievances, represent their interests and participate in decisions affecting campus life.
