Administration criticised amid calls for dialogue and immediate rollback of fees hike
ALIGARH – Students at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) are continuing their protests against a recent fee hike, with two students observing a hunger strike for the third consecutive day on Saturday, highlighting growing unrest on campus.
The protest, now entering its 15th day, has gained attention from political leaders, including Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Saman, who visited the students at Bab-e Syed Gate on Saturday.
“Students have the right to raise their voices. I oppose any kind of police action against them,” Saman said. “The university administration should meet the students, understand their demands, and solve the issue through dialogue. If they fail to do so, we will raise this matter in Parliament.”
The MP stressed that Aligarh Muslim University has historically produced many prominent leaders and personalities. He questioned the administration’s stance on government elections within the university, stating, “It is not clear why the university administration has a problem with holding government elections. These should be conducted as soon as possible.” He also linked the ideological roots of current political influences to communalism, noting, “The origin of RSS is connected with communalism. Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi has also emerged from the same ideology.”
Two students, Rayan Ahmed and Syed Kaif Hassan, have been on hunger strike since August 14. Kaif Hassan explained, “The university administration is not able to see the demands and pain of the students. The MLA saw our pain, which is why he came to meet us.”
Kaif emphasised that the protest is against “wrong decisions of the university administration” and insisted, “We do not want any kind of political interference in this protest. The vice-chancellor has not come to meet us even once in the last three days.”
Syed, who has also been on hunger strike for three days, expressed distrust in the administration’s medical support, saying, “The university administration is sending a medical team for our check-up, but we do not trust them.” Despite this, doctors are continuously monitoring the condition of the students to ensure their safety.
The protest at Bab-e Syed Gate continues, reflecting the determination of AMU students to stand against administrative decisions they perceive as unjust. Leaders from the Samajwadi Party have pledged their ongoing support for the movement and called on the university to resolve the matter promptly.
