Mohammad bin Ismail | Clarion India
NEW DELHI — The ongoing student protests at Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) entered their third day with heightened tension after Delhi Police detained 15 to 20 students. The arrests occurred between 4 and 5 pm on Thursday, following a complaint from the university administration. After about 12 hours in police custody, the students were released at 6 pm. However, protests persisted outside several university gates and police stations across Delhi.
The protesting students, many of whom are pursuing doctoral studies, have made their stance clear: they are protesting against what they describe as harsh administrative action targeting their colleagues. The students in question—Saurabh Tripathi (PhD, Hindi Department), Jyoti (PhD, Hindi Department), and Niranjan (Law Department)—received show-cause notices from the university administration. The charges against them relate to their involvement in protests on campus without prior approval.
According to the students, the real reason behind the punitive actions lies in their involvement in organizing and participating in events that commemorated the events of December 15, 2019. On that date, Delhi Police forcefully entered the Jamia library during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), subjecting students to brutal lathi charges. This day has been commemorated annually by students to mark the police crackdown, but this year the university administration imposed a blanket ban on such activities.
Despite the ban, several students defied the restrictions and continued to stage protests. As a result, the university issued show-cause notices, accusing the students of disrupting classes, erecting barriers outside the main library, and encouraging other students to boycott classes. The administration’s actions were part of a broader crackdown, which included shutting down the campus canteen, cutting off electricity supply, and locking washrooms.
The protesting students have made four key demands: the immediate withdrawal of the show-cause notices issued to three PhD students, the revocation of the memorandum banning protests on campus, the abolition of a Rs 50,000 fine for pasting posters or wallpapers on university walls, and a guarantee that no disciplinary action will be taken against students participating in peaceful protests in the future.
In a statement released via social media, Mashkoor Usmani, a prominent Congress leader and former student leader from Aligarh Muslim University, condemned the actions of the Jamia administration and the Delhi Police. “This is an undemocratic step,” he wrote. “The university administration is taking action against students for trivial reasons and calling in the police to arrest them. We strongly condemn this and demand that the arrested students be released immediately.”
Usmani added that the protests, which have garnered significant attention, are causing widespread anger and resentment among the student community. He warned that if the demands of the protesting students are not met, the protests could escalate, with other student organizations likely to join in.
The All India Students Association (AISA) also expressed its outrage over the arrests. According to the organization, several students were forcibly taken away from the Jamia campus at around 5 am by police officers, who were allegedly cooperating with the university administration. AISA claims that the students were beaten by unknown Delhi Police officers before being detained. The association further claimed that several female students were also taken into custody, but their whereabouts remain unconfirmed.
“This is an unconstitutional act,” said Neha, National President of AISA. “We demand immediate information about these students’ whereabouts and their safety. Is the Delhi Police now involved in making students disappear?” AISA has called for widespread public support, urging civil society, pro-democracy organizations, and other student groups to rally in support of the detained students.
AISA President Neha raised critical questions regarding the legality of the detentions: “Under which legal provision have they been detained? Under which authority is their presence being kept secret?”
The Journalist organization, Journal Mirror, also condemned the police action against the students, labeling it undemocratic and a violation of academic freedom. The organization expressed concern that the actions of the university and police represent an attempt to suppress the voices of dissent, especially on a campus that has historically been a platform for free expression.
“This is a deliberate attempt to suppress student voices and undermine their democratic rights,” the statement read. “It is an attack on the fundamental principles of academic freedom. Such actions should be condemned by all sections of society.”
In response to the ongoing crackdown, student organizations and civil society groups have called for solidarity with the detained students. The protests have sparked a wave of support from former students, faculty members, and public figures, all of whom are calling for the immediate release of the arrested students and a reversal of the university’s punitive actions.
Student unions have made it clear that the struggle will continue unless the demands are met. “This is not just about the three students,” one protester said. “This is about our fundamental rights to protest and to express our dissent. We will not back down until the administration listens to us.”
The protest has drawn widespread attention across India, especially given the political significance of the issues at hand. With national and international attention focused on the events at Jamia Millia Islamia, the pressure on the university and the government to resolve the crisis is mounting. Students are holding firm in their demand for justice, and their fight for academic freedom and democratic rights continues unabated.