“We Will Not Back Down”: Jamia Students Demand Union Restoration, Proctor’s Resignation

New Delhi: Students of Jamia Millia Islamia have demanded the immediate restoration of the university’s students’ union and the resignation of its chief proctor, accusing the administration of suppressing dissent and using force against protesters seeking elected student representation.

In a statement issued on Sunday under the banner of “Jamia Students for Students’ Union”, the students said the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU) had remained dysfunctional since 2006, leaving successive batches without an elected body to represent their concerns.

“The absence of a union has not left a neutral vacuum. It has turned the campus into a space of suffocation, fear and constant threat,” the statement said, alleging that dissent was being punished rather than addressed.

The statement follows protests on October 17, when students alleged that they were picked up and forcibly removed from campus. Protesters have also accused university security personnel of physically assaulting students participating in an indefinite hunger strike.

The students put forward three key demands: restoration of the students’ union, withdrawal of existing disciplinary action against those involved in the movement, and an end to further proceedings linked to the protest. They also called for the chief proctor’s resignation, holding the office responsible for the alleged treatment of protesters.

Student groups accuse administration of ignoring demands

Sana of the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) questioned restrictions on student unions at central universities, including Jamia and Aligarh Muslim University. She asked whether the authorities feared minority leadership and called for the immediate restoration of student representation.

She also accused the administration of treating protesters inhumanely and attempting to pressure them into ending the agitation.

Athnan of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) said the administration had failed to hold discussions with students despite the hunger strike continuing for seven days. He said protesters would continue their movement and would not retreat from their demands.

Neville of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) invoked Jamia’s historical association with India’s freedom struggle, arguing that suppressing student participation contradicted the university’s legacy.

Farhan of the Fraternity Movement alleged that no university delegation had approached the protesters to discuss their demands. He also questioned the deployment of the Rapid Action Force against students who, he said, were peacefully seeking their democratic rights.

Sanam, a PhD scholar and former secretary of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), expressed solidarity with the protesting students and JNU students. Referring to her own complaint of harassment, she criticised delays in the inquiry process and the lack of student representation on the Internal Complaints Committee, which she said was inconsistent with University Grants Commission guidelines.

Shuaib of the All India Students’ Federation (AISF) questioned why the administration continued to deny students an elected union, arguing that students had a right to organise and participate in campus democracy.

Hammad of the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) accused the proctorial authorities of acting without accountability and alleged that students were being intimidated through their academic supervisors.

Hunger strike continues amid campus restrictions

Ebin Basil and Jasim Khan, a postgraduate student of International Studies, have been participating in the hunger strike. The university administration has reportedly sealed the campus, closed its gates and suspended normal activities.

The latest protest is part of a long running campaign for the restoration of the students’ union. In October 2017, students led by anti CAA activist Meeran Haider also launched a hunger strike over the same demand.

At the time, the university said the vice chancellor had agreed in principle to restoring the union but cited legal complications arising from a pending petition before the Delhi High Court.

In December 2022, the Delhi High Court disposed of a public interest litigation seeking directions for student union elections after the university informed the court that the union had been dissolved and that no election was therefore being considered.

The current agitation has renewed debate over student representation, campus democracy and the right to peaceful protest at central universities. The students have appealed to faculty members, civil society and the media to support their demands.