With no students’ union polls since 2018, students accuse the administration of ignoring Lyngdoh Committee rules, blocking elected representation, and silencing dissent
ALIGARH/NEW DELHI – Anger is growing at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), where students have been staging a continuous protest for the past 15 days, demanding the restoration of student union elections that have not been held since 2018.
The protest began on 19 January after repeated appeals to the university administration failed to bring any clear action. Students say that even after the Covid period ended, the administration kept delaying elections without offering firm reasons or dates.
Protesting students allege that stopping students’ union elections amounts to silencing their democratic voice. “Not holding elections is nothing but killing democracy on campus,” said a student leader at the protest site. “We are only asking for our basic right to elect our representatives.”
Students have warned that the agitation will be intensified if the administration does not announce the name of the election officer at the earliest. Support for the protest has come from former AMU students and several public figures, strengthening the movement.
Tension increased on 31 January when Jammu and Kashmir MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi was stopped from entering the campus where he was to meet the protesting students. Students squarely blamed Vice-Chancellor Naima Khatoon for the move. “The Vice-Chancellor is running the campus in an authoritarian manner,” a protesting student said. “Stopping an elected MP from meeting students shows fear of dialogue.”
Despite strict steps by the administration, the number of students at the protest site continues to grow. In a strong sign of resistance, a student from the Architecture Department has also begun a silent fast in support of the demand for elections.
Students recalled that during an earlier protest in August, the administration had assured them that students’ union elections would be held in December 2025. However, January 2026 has passed without any announcement of an election officer. “We trusted the administration’s word, but that promise has been broken,” said another student. “This is why we are back on the streets.”
The protesters also pointed out that the Lyngdoh Committee guidelines clearly direct universities across India to hold students’ union elections. They questioned why AMU is being treated differently when institutions such as Jawaharlal Nehru University, the University of Delhi, and Banaras Hindu University continue to conduct regular student polls.
AMU students stressed the historic role of the students’ union in shaping national leadership. “AMU Students’ Union has produced leaders like Dr Zakir Husain, who became President of India,” a senior student said. “Leaders such as Arif Mohammad Khan, Azam Khan, Khalid Masood, Mohammad Adeeb and Ali Ashraf Fatimi also came from this platform.”
For many students, the protest is about preserving AMU’s legacy and protecting student rights. “This union is part of AMU’s soul,” a protester said. “We will not leave until our voice is heard.”
As the sit-in enters its third week, the silence from the administration has only deepened resentment, with students insisting that the future of campus democracy depends on immediate action.
