Students’ Union at Jamia Millia: Hunger strike of students enters 5th day

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Students allege that the university administration is showing apathy towards their issues and that is why they need students’ union.

Ghazanfar Abbas, IndiaTomorrow.net
New Delhi, Oct 29: While India’s premier central university, Jamia Millia Islamia is celebrating its 97th Foundation Day today, some students are on indefinite hunger strike for five days inside the campus demanding restoration of the students’ union. Meeran Haider, one of the protesters, was admitted in the Holy Family hospital on Sunday as his health condition deteriorated. He was on hunger strike from the day one.

Speaking to IndiaTomorrow.net from the hospital, Meeran, an M.Phil student of Jamia, said, “I am in hospital as my health has deteriorated. I am not able to speak properly. I have not eaten anything yet and will never eat till our demand to restore students’ union is met.”

Restoration of students’ union and holding elections annually are the 12-year-old demands of the Jamia students. The students observing the hunger strike say they resorted to this step as the university has not heeded to their representations in the last one and half years. They have also held some protests in the campus this October and submitted a memorandum to the admin. Meanwhile, the university says the case about students’ union is pending in the court and so it cannot restore the union before the final verdict.
Meeran Haider (in Green Kurta)

More students join hunger strike
On day one (25th October), a total of three students had sat on the hunger strike but from the second day only two students were there. However, at the call of mass hunger strike, seven more students joined the hunger strike on Sunday. At present, there are nine students sitting on hunger strike at the varsity.

Students allege that the university administration is showing apathy towards their issues and that is why they need students union. They have common issues — lack of hostels, fee hike, scholarships, placement, delay in results etc. They say the administration should focus on these issues but since there is no students’ union, the varsity is little concerned to resolve them.

Also Read: Jamia students go on hunger strike seeking restoration of students’ union

Academicians, politicians extend solidarity
Besides students of other universities like JNU and Delhi University (DU), some academicians and politicians also came to Jamia on Sunday in solidarity with the students and to reinforce their demand.

“This is the duty of the university to develop an environment of debate and discussion. The systems of military and university are different, that is why the head of an academic institution is chosen from among academicians rather than militarymen. There is a conspiracy to depoliticise good youths so that bad people can enter the politics,” Prof. Ratan Lal of DU said while addressing the students.

“If we are not allowed to reinstate unions in a university then where? From where will we get future leaders? If unions are not reinstated in universities then the country will be run by Adani and Ambani only,” he said.
DU Prof. Ratan Lal (Right) addressing along with Rajya Sabha MP Ali Anwar (Photo – IndiaTomorrow.net)

Talking on the legitimacy of students’ demand, Rajya Sabha MP Ali Anwar said the VC of Jamia Millia should listen to the students as it is their right.

“This is students’ democratic and constitutional right. The VC should take this matter seriously as the demand of the students is very genuine,” Anwar said.

“Today only machinery has remained everywhere and public has vanished. Students unions are more needed now. If there had not been any union of students in JNU and teachers had not come forward, it would not have survived. Like JNU, political conspiracies are there to attack the character of JMI and AMU too,” he averred.

University’s stand:
Clarifying its stand on the issue, the Jamia administration has said that it is not against the union election but since a case over the issue of students’ union election is subjudiced in Delhi High Court, it can’t hold elections.

In February 2012, a writ petition (No.917/2012 titled “Hamidur Rahman Vs. JMI”) was filed in the Delhi High Court wherein the petitioner had prayed to direct the university for holding election. In the same month, a group of nine students had filed an application opposing any direct system of elections in the university.

In a written statement, A.P. Siddiqui, Registrar of Jamia said: “A group of nine students have intervened in the Writ Petition and filed an application dated 28.02.2012 praying to present their case in the larger academic interests of Jamia. In paragraph 9 of the said application, these students have opposed any direct system of elections in the Jamia Millia Islamia. This application was admitted on record by the High Court of Delhi.”

The university registrar further said: “Subsequently, on the direction of the High Court in February 2012, the Jamia Millia Islamia thereafter has filed an affidavit in April 2012. The High Court in July 2012 has given an opportunity to the Petitioner to file his response. The High Court in November 2012 has given another opportunity to file the response; but the Petitioner has failed to file his response and the Hon’ble Court put this matter as a Regular Matter in 2013.”

In its statement, Jamia has said that it is ready to consider holding students’ union election depending on the outcome of the case but the legal hurdle can only be resolved in the Court by withdrawing the present petition by the petitioner as well as intervening group of students/applicants.

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