Campus Unrest Escalates in South Delhi

NEW DELHI — Jamia Millia Islamia has transitioned all academic classes to an online format following intense clashes between protesting students and university security personnel. The confrontation erupted when guards moved to dismantle protest tents erected by students—including several participants on a hunger strike—who have been demanding the reinstatement of the university's student union.

The ongoing agitation, which began on October 12, centers on the revival of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students' Union (JMISU). The elected body has remained disbanded since 2006 following campus violence and subsequent academic disruptions.

Administration Alleges Political Interference

University Registrar Mahtab Alam Rizvi strongly condemned the escalation, attributing the heightened tensions to external political intervention. Rizvi alleged that a visit by opposition Congress leaders a day prior served to incite students, effectively making them "cannon fodder for political narratives."

According to the administration, the visiting politicians entered the campus by scaling perimeter walls, an action officials claim severely disrupted the institutional environment. The university has formally filed a complaint regarding the incident with the Delhi Police.

Political figures have pushed back against the administration's narrative. Congress leader Imran Pratapgarhi defended the student movement, asserting that the administration's attempt to forcibly remove hunger-strikers amounted to an effort to suppress student unity.

Broader Political and Legal Discourse

The absence of an elected student representative body at Jamia has drawn scrutiny beyond campus boundaries. In late October, parliamentarians formally approached the Union Education Minister, highlighting that the nearly two-decade hiatus contradicts guidelines set by the University Grants Commission and the Lyngdoh Committee, alongside constitutional guarantees of freedom of association.

Adding to the volatile atmosphere, recent weeks saw contentious slogans linked to Jammu and Kashmir appear on university walls, prompting demands for investigations from political quarters. However, student representatives have distanced themselves from the graffiti, alleging that the provocative slogans were planted to delegitimize their peaceful campaign for union elections.

As the university maintains its online learning directive, administrative officials and student leaders remain at an impasse regarding the path forward for campus governance.