Jamia Millia Islamia Students Demand Action Amid Ongoing Protests
Students Continue Protests at Jamia Millia Islamia
File image shows Jamis Millia Islamia students confronting authorities during campus protest in New Delhi(Photo: IANS)
New Delhi, Oct 26: Students from Jamia Millia Islamia have officially presented their demands to the Vice-Chancellor, calling for a reassessment of the Registrar's Office notification regarding their hunger strike and emphasizing the need for their concerns to be "fully addressed".
On Monday, the administration of Jamia Millia Islamia acknowledged the students' demands, announcing plans to conduct elections for the students' union and to form a committee tasked with drafting a constitution for the union. They also stated that disciplinary actions against the protestors would be lifted, although no specific timeline was provided for these actions.
In their correspondence with the Vice-Chancellor, the students expressed their intention to persist with their "hunger strike and peaceful" protests until their requests are fulfilled.
Their demands encompass a definitive timeline for the establishment of the Students' Union Constitution and elections, the cancellation of disciplinary measures against protestors, and the resignation of the Chief Security Advisor.
According to the students' letter, "No protesting students will apologize for exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest." They further stated, "We will continue our hunger strike and peaceful protest until our demands are met. We urge the university administration to take these requests seriously and ensure that the process of forming the Students' Union adheres to the proposed timelines."
The letter also highlighted the students' expectation for a firm commitment from the administration to address their demands and support the establishment of a democratically elected Students' Union.
Earlier, the students dismissed the administration's notice, criticizing it for lacking a clear commitment to restoring the students' union and asserting that their protests would persist until all their demands are satisfactorily met.
They expressed their disappointment with what they termed a "vague and insufficient order," noting that it did not provide a specific timeline for the approval of the students' union constitution or a clear plan for conducting elections.
Additionally, the notice did not address the resignation of the Proctor and the Security Advisor, which are among the other demands put forth by the protesting students.
In a statement released on Monday, the University indicated that elections would occur within 15 days following the approval of the students' union constitution, yet no timeline was specified.
Since October 12, students have been advocating for the reinstatement of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students' Union (JMISU), which was disbanded in 2006. A number of students have engaged in a hunger strike, demanding the revival of the JMISU and the removal of the University's Chief Proctor due to a perceived "crackdown" on protestors.