University administration attempts to suppress peaceful protest, claim demonstrators
Mohammad bin Ismail and Abdullah Salam | Clarion India
NEW DELHI — A wave of anger swept through the Jamia Millia Islamia campus on Friday as hundreds of students staged a fierce protest against the recently passed Waqf Bill. Demonstrators at the university’s main gate raised slogans, delivered speeches and eventually burned copies of the bill to express their discontent.
The protest, led by the All India Students Association (AISA) along with several independent student voices, came in response to what they called an “attack on the religious and cultural rights of Indian Muslims.” The Waqf Bill, which has already been passed in the Parliament, has stirred controversy among Muslim communities across the country, who see it as a direct blow to their institutions and heritage.
Calling the legislation an act of communal bias, AISA criticised the government’s move.
“This is not just a bill; it is a targeted assault on Muslim identity and history,” an AISA statement read. “The Waqf properties, which were built and maintained for centuries as places of worship, education, and social support, are being taken away under the guise of management reform. This bill is both unconstitutional and communal,” it added.
Students accuse the government of hiding behind bureaucratic terms while stripping Muslims of their centuries-old endowments and institutions. “This government wants to erase our past and silence our future,” said Fatima Khalid, a postgraduate student. “They claim they are protecting heritage, but in reality, they are grabbing Waqf lands and selling them to corporate lobbies.”
Tensions were further fuelled when the students accused the Jamia Millia Islamia administration of attempting to suppress their right to protest.
“When we started gathering to protest peacefully, the administration shut all the university gates without notice,” said Ahmed Raza, a student of political science. “It was like being caged in our own campus.”
AISA’s official statement alleged that security guards were instructed to blow whistles non-stop to disrupt speeches and chants. “It was a desperate and undignified attempt to drown out student voices. But we stood firm. Our struggle is not just for ourselves, but for generations to come,” it said.
The move to restrict student movement was widely criticised by protestors and observers alike. Many students voiced concerns over the increasing attempts by educational institutions to curb dissent, especially on issues concerning minority rights.
“This administration should remember its roots. Jamia was born from resistance, not silence,” said one protesting student holding a placard reading ‘Save Waqf, Save Our Identity’.
As part of the demonstration, students publicly burnt printed copies of the Waqf Bill, a move intended to send a strong symbolic message to both the government and university authorities.
“We burnt the bill to show that this law does not carry the legitimacy of our community. We reject it outright,” said Bushra Alam, a member of the student group organising the protest. “Waqf land belongs to the community. It is not government property to manage or sell off as they please.”
The protestors stressed that Waqf properties have served as crucial community assets for generations — running schools, orphanages, madrasas, and supporting mosques and graveyards. The bill, they claim, centralises control in the hands of the state, stripping communities of autonomy.
Delhi Police deployed a contingent of officers near the protest site to maintain law and order. No violence was reported during the protest, though the presence of police was a clear sign of the government’s concern over growing dissent.
Student leaders emphasised the peaceful nature of their demonstration. “We didn’t break anything, we didn’t shout abusive slogans, we only stood for justice — and yet we were treated like a threat,” said Zubair Khan, a law student.
Police officers at the scene declined to comment on the protest, maintaining that their role was only to ensure public order.
The protest at Jamia is part of a broader outcry among Muslims in India, many of whom fear that the bill will be used as a tool to systematically dismantle their religious institutions.
“This is nothing less than a legalised land grab,” said Maulana Shafiq Ahmad, a cleric and Waqf trustee in Uttar Pradesh. “Across the country, Waqf lands are being eyed by powerful builders and politicians. The new bill will make it easier for them to seize these lands in the name of regulation.”
Several legal experts have also raised questions about the constitutionality of the bill. “This legislation violates the fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 25 and 26 of the Indian Constitution,” said advocate Arif Rehmani, who practices at the Delhi High Court. “It strips the Waqf Boards of their powers and hands them over to bureaucrats with little understanding of religious endowments.”
What has angered many protestors is the silence of major opposition parties on the issue. “Why has no major party stood up for us? Is defending Muslim rights now considered political suicide?” questioned Samreen Zaidi, a research scholar. “The silence is deafening.”
Many students believe that the mainstream media is also playing a role in downplaying the issue. “Had this been any other community, the headlines would have been different,” said one protestor. “But when it comes to Muslims, even our peaceful protests are ignored or misreported.”
Despite attempts to silence them, students and activists at Jamia vowed to continue their struggle. “This is not the end,” said AISA leaders in their closing remarks. “This protest is only the beginning of a national movement to save Waqf and resist this anti-Muslim agenda.”
The students also urged Muslim leaders, scholars, and citizens to join hands and fight the bill through legal means, public awareness, and continued protest.
“We will not let our heritage be sold off like property on a real estate market,” declared one student, holding a sign that read, ‘Waqf is Our Amanat — Not for Sale’.
As the sun set on the Jamia campus, the crowd dispersed but the fire — symbolic and real — had been lit. A fire of resistance, of assertion, and unity.
