Jamia Millia Islamia Students Demand Revival of Union Elections, Five Begin Hunger Strike

New Delhi, October 23 (Daily Kiran) : Students at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi are actively protesting for the revival of student union elections, which have not taken place in over 20 years. Demonstrators are calling for the formation of a committee to oversee the elections, the announcement of a date, and the prompt initiation of the electoral process.

At the forefront of the protest is student Atik Ahmed, who revealed that five of his peers, including four male students and one female student, have begun a hunger strike to amplify their demands.

“Our demand is clear, and we hope the media accurately conveys our message,” Ahmed stated. He pointed out that while student union elections have been conducted at Delhi University and are set to take place at Jawaharlal Nehru University and Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia, as a central university, has yet to hold its elections.

Ahmed emphasized the necessity of forming a committee to facilitate the elections and urged for the announcement of a date. He insisted that the electoral process should be prioritized and initiated without delay.

When questioned about a controversial “Free Kashmir” slogan that appeared during the protests, Ahmed clarified that it was likely written by a mischief-maker aiming to divert attention from the main issues at hand. He condemned the act, asserting that it was an attempt to undermine the protest’s legitimacy. Ahmed added that a monitoring team would be established to oversee such incidents and maintain focus on their primary demands.

Another student participating in the demonstration accused external forces of attempting to discredit their movement by creating controversy. This student raised concerns about the university administration’s strict security measures, noting that he had to show his identification to 12 security personnel upon entering the campus. He also claimed that despite being admitted two months ago, the administration had yet to finalize his enrollment.

The protesters united in their call for the restoration of student union elections, urging the administration to take concrete steps toward fulfilling their demands.