SIO and Delhi Minorities Commission have expressed concern over the incident at Jamia.
India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 23— Violent clashes erupted at Jamia Millia Islamia here on Tuesday as hundreds of students were protesting against show-cause notice to some students earlier this month for protesting against Israel. Students claimed that they were attacked by some people brought from outside. However, the university administration has denied the charge saying it was a clash between students of Jamia.
Even as some students had been holding protest since October 14 when five students were issued show-cause notice for protesting against a joint program of Jamia and Israeli government on October 5, Tuesday witnessed a massive demonstration seeking revocation of the show-cause notice.
Videos of the Tuesday incident going viral on social media show that over hundred students were holding sit-in outside the office of the Vice Chancellor when scores of people attacked them. They were beaten with belt and flowerpots. Students claimed that varsity officials were mute spectators even when some girl students were being beaten up. Several students got injured in the attack.
Jamia Administration Refuses Charges
Jamia PRO Ahmed Azeem said: “Show-cause notice to 5 students have been issued for indiscipline and they were asked to reply to the notice. Instead of replying they burned the copies of the notice and also boycotted the disciplinary committee where they had the opportunity to present their case.”
Commenting on the Tuesday incident, he said: “Today a group of students backed by some student organisations gheraoed the Vice-Chancellor office, laid seige to the office complex and physically blocked all the gates of exit. A group of senior teachers and officials of the university met the agitating students and listened their concerns patiently and requested them to lift their siege on the administrative complex. Teachers also assured them that their demands given in the memorandum will be discussed at the highest level but they refused. Teachers also requested the students to send some of their representatives for talk but they refused. A number of delegates who were attending a conference organised by English department on Mahatma Gandhi at Meer Taqi Meer Building were also not allowed to go out of the main administrative complex. Teachers requested the students to allow the delegates to leave but they refused. When the students of English Department tried to help the delegates to take out their vehicles the protesting students physically stopped them. A scuffle broke out between the group of students. The protesting students damaged vehicles parked in the complex where they have laid the siege.”
Injured Students Lodge Police Complaints against Attack
Late Tuesday night, the injured students lodged complaint with the Jamia Nagar Police Station against 10 attackers. They also submitted videos to identify the attackers.
SIO To Take Issue To President Of India As Visitor Of Jamia
Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), a pan-India students group, has strongly condemned the violence at Jamia and demanded immediate withdrawal of the show-cause notice issued to the students. They said if their demands are not met, they will take the issue to the President of India who is Visitor of Jamia Millia which is a central university.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Syed Azharuddin (General Secretary, SIO of India) said: “Today Jamia Millia Islamia students are on their tenth day of protest against frivolous show cause notices issued to 5 students. The student community of Jamia had marched yesterday (Tuesday) to VC office in hundreds for a peaceful protest to demand the revoking of these notices. While the sit in in front of VC office was going on a group of goons brutally attacked the students, including female students, with belts, lathis and flower pots. Many female students were also manhandled, and a few students had to be taken to the nearby Holy Family hospital. In a tightly controlled campus where no outsiders are being allowed to enter, these kinds of goons could only have entered and attacked students with the knowledge and encouragement of the university administration.”
SIO has demanded revocation of the show-cause notices issued to the five students, arrest of the attackers, action against varsity officials for not protecting the students and reinstatement of democratic atmosphere through the establishment of University Students Union in Jamia Millia Islamia.
Delhi Minorities Commission Notice To Jamia Millia
“After students protest in Jamia Millia Islamia against the participation of an Israeli person in a seminar, Delhi Minorities Commission issued a notice to the Registrar, Jamia Millia on 15 October. It was returnable on 28 October. But ever since the situation has escalated on the Jamia campus with protesting students alleging that goons were employed by JMI authorities to break their protest,” the commission said in a statement.