Image Courtesy: hindustantimes.com
Students of Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI) Delhi surrounded the University VC’s (vice Chancellor) office on December 13 by breaking open the locked gates that led to her office. The student delegations had earlier met the VC, Najma Akhtar several times to demand that she approach the court in order to get an FIR registered against Delhi Police for wreaking violent havoc on the University campus on December 15 and were also dismayed that the University had declared exam dates when students were not in a mental state to prepare after the trauma they suffered.
On December 15, Delhi Police had entered the campus and allegedly vandalised libraries, a place of worship and assaulted the students and the security guards on campus, resorted to tear gas shelling and used stun grenades within confined spaces on campus and also destroyed CCTV cameras.
After the fateful incident on December 15, Akhtar had condemned the police action in a video message and had shown solidarity towards the students. She had also said that she will raise the issue at the highest level possible and ensure that action is taken. It is probably because of this reassuring statement that students are disgruntled about the laidback attitude of the admin and questioning their seriousness about bringing justice to the students.
The students are upset that no FIR has been lodged against the Delhi for these actions. The University did, however, lodge a police complaint and even wrote letters to senior IPS officers including the Police Commissioner of Delhi.
The University’s VC was lauded after the incident for having stood up for her students unlike her JNU counterpart who had permitted the entry of police on campus. However, her inability to file an FIR is being seen as a lackadaisical approach of the University administration which had initially shown enthusiasm in protecting the students and taking strict action against the police excess on campus and the unauthorised entry of police on campus.
The students have demanded that an FIR be registered through a Magistrate’s order before January 16, a new tentative timetable be drawn out for the exams, an official assurance be given to parents about the students’ safety on campus and an SIT be demanded to probe police action as also legal support to be provided to students against whom police have lodged cases. The police had booked 3 students, including 2 who were injured, on charges of rioting.
Akhtar told the gathering that Delhi Police had refused to lodge the FIR and also said that the University has submitted a report to the government clearly stating that the police had entered the campus without permission. She also said, “We (re)opened the university after being requested by the students and we have made this exam schedule so that students can prepare…There is no connection between an FIR and the examination. We are going to court and the court is not in our hands.”
The vice chancellor said the National Human Rights Commission has already begun an inquiry into the December 15 police action and a National Human Rights Commission team has visited the university and another will visit on Tuesday to record the statements of the victims.
However, later, the University released a statement reconsidering its decision on exams which stated that the exams stand cancelled until further notice. “A decision has also been taken that the administration will also explore the possibility of moving court for the registration of FIR in the 15th December 2019 police brutality in university library case at the earliest… The university has already handed over all the evidence to the National Human Rights Commission (probe),” the statement said.
Jamia’s students’ groups have stated that students are coping with trauma and are unable to prepare for exams.
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