What is happening at Jamia Millia Islamia? Why are students on Hunger Strike?

The agitation demanding students’ union elections at Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia University is gaining momentum. Five students have been on an indefinite hunger strike for 13 days. On October 24, the university administration announced that classes across all programmes would move online until further notice. The administration cited concerns over students’ safety amid the tense situation on campus. The protesters, however, accused the authorities of taking steps to curb the agitation.

The central demand is the restoration of students’ union elections, which have remained suspended for years. The protesters are also seeking the withdrawal of disciplinary action against students involved in the agitation and action against the university’s Chief Proctor and Security Adviser. The administration has asked the protesters to move to the designated protest site and call off their demonstration to allow academic activities to return to normal. Several rounds of discussions have taken place, but the deadlock continues.

Why are the students protesting?

Jamia Millia Islamia is one of India’s prominent central universities. Students’ union elections have been suspended since 2006, when the union was dissolved, according to media reports. The current agitation centres on the demand for an elected body that can represent students and raise their concerns before the university administration.

An elected students’ union provides a platform for students to address issues related to academics, accommodation, library facilities, examinations and administrative decisions. The protesters argue that the absence of such a body has weakened students’ ability to raise collective demands through democratic means.

On October 12, five students began an indefinite hunger strike, demanding that the university announce a firm date for the elections. They have rejected the administration’s assurance that a committee would examine the matter. The protesters want a clear election schedule rather than another promise to consider the issue.

Disciplinary action against the hunger strikers

The situation took a turn on October 16, when the university administration expelled one student involved in the agitation. Two others were suspended and barred from entering the campus for a year. The disciplinary action prompted more students to join the protest.

A day later, several student organisations issued a joint statement alleging that more than a hundred security personnel had entered the protest site, misbehaved with the hunger strikers and harassed them. The organisations accused the university of attempting to break up a peaceful demonstration. The administration maintained that steps were necessary to restore normalcy on campus.

Tensions escalated further on October 24. Following a meeting with the university administration, protesters alleged that attempts were made to remove the tents at the protest site. Media reports also mentioned the arrival of ambulances to take the hunger strikers to hospital. The students claimed that security personnel had tried to dismantle their protest camp and used force against them.

The administration disputed this account. According to the university authorities, the protesters had occupied a spot outside the designated protest area and refused to move when asked. The administration also alleged that some students pushed security personnel and teachers during efforts to restore order. The two sides have offered conflicting accounts of the confrontation.

Committee formed to draft students’ Union Constitution, but deadlock persists

The university has formed a committee to hold discussions with the protesting students. On October 21, it announced a separate five-member faculty committee to draft the constitution of the students’ union. The committee will examine how the union should function, why it was dissolved in the past, and how relevant court directives and the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee can be implemented.

The protesters are unconvinced. They see the formation of another committee as a way to delay the elections. They have also questioned the committee’s composition, pointing out that it has no student representatives.

University Registrar Mehtab Alam Rizvi said the elections could be held sooner if the drafting process was completed quickly. He claimed that the students had agreed to the process during a meeting with the administration. The protesters have denied any suggestion that they are ready to call off their hunger strike. They insist that the strike will continue until the university issues an official notification announcing the elections.

The administration has cited past clashes between students, attacks on teachers and disruptions to classes as reasons for suspending elections. It wants the rules and the proposed constitution to be reviewed before the electoral process resumes.

Online classes, campus tensions

Following Saturday’s confrontation, the university announced that classes across all programmes would be held online. Media reports said the administration had also ordered the closure of the campus gates and library. Students were instructed to follow their online class schedules and stay away from campus until further notice.

The administration has presented the move as a necessary measure to protect students and keep academic activities running. The protesters fear that shifting classes online will make it harder for students to gather and sustain the agitation. The decision has also raised questions about students’ access to campus facilities, face-to-face interaction with teachers and the freedom to organise on university grounds.

The agitation has also drawn attention to a separate controversy over the words ‘Free Kashmir’, which appeared on a campus wall. The protesting students have denied any involvement by the hunger strikers. They have called for an examination of CCTV footage to identify those responsible and demanded an impartial investigation into the incident.

The crisis at Jamia now extends beyond the demand for students’ union elections. At stake is the question of elected student representation, alongside the administration’s concerns about discipline and campus security.

The five students remain on hunger strike, and the university has yet to announce an election date. Classes continue online, with no immediate end to the standoff in sight. A resolution will depend on whether the administration and the protesters can reach an agreement through further talks.