A protest was held at Jantar Mantar today in solidarity with 17 students suspended by the Jamia Millia Islamia administration for participating in campus demonstrations.
Left-affiliated student organisations, including the All India Students’ Association (AISA), Students Federation of India (SFI), All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO), and others, took part in the protest. The students called for the revocation of the suspensions and the cessation of any disciplinary action for participating in the demonstrations.
Professors of other universities were also present and lamented decreasign dissent space in universities.
A student said: “We protested for three days, but the proctor did not care. Not even a single class was held on Monday. We collected 500 signatures and tried to submit them to the proctor, but he disappeared. We had no choice but to bring our protest here.”
No response has been received from the Jamia administration.
In a press statement issued earlier to the media, the students had demanded six points from Jamia:
1. Revocation of the FIR, suspensions, and disciplinary committee proceedings against all dissenting students.
2. An immediate end to the issuance of show-cause notices to students exercising their fundamental rights to protest, organise, and express themselves peacefully.
3. Revocation of all show-cause notices issued to students for raising their voices.
4. Repeal of the Office Memoranda dated August 29, 2022, and November 29, 2024.
5. An end to the witch-hunt against students for expressing dissent.
6. Withdrawal of the notice penalising postering and graffiti on Jamia walls.
A disciplinary committee is set to meet on February 25 to review the involvement of two PhD scholars in organising “Jamia Resistance Day” on December 15, 2024. The event marks the anniversary of the 2019 protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Several students have reported receiving suspension notices citing their alleged involvement in “vandalism, unauthorised protests, and defamation of the university”.
Protesters, holding banners with slogans such as “Dissent is the legacy of Jamia” and “Restore Campus Democracy”, are demanding the withdrawal of disciplinary actions, the repeal of a 2020 Office Memorandum restricting campus protests, the removal of a Rs 50,000 fine for graffiti and posters, and guarantees that students won’t face disciplinary measures for participating in protests.
Some students argue that restrictions on campus activities have increased since Vice-Chancellor Mazhar Asif took office in October 2024.
“In 2023, we observed the Resistance Day without any action against students, but in 2024, showcause notices were sent and inquiries were initiated,” said Sonakshi, an AISA member.
Days ago Jamia issued a statement saying that “it is a matter of grave concern for Jamia Millia Islamia that some individuals and anti-social elements have over the last 4-5 days been attempting to defame the image of the university and its students by spreading misleading, defamatory and malicious messages and fabricated videos using their social media accounts and other online platforms”.
AIMIM Delhi president Shoaib Jamai announced that he would join the protest at Jantar Mantar at 2:30 pm. He mentioned that the AIMIM student wing, MSW, was also participating in the protest. However, a YouTuber reported that Shoaib arrived late and did not address the gathering of students.
