Mohd Alamullah | Clarion India
ALIGARH – Marking the fourth anniversary of the violent clash between the police and students during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act on December 15, 2019, at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), students observed it as a ‘Black Day.’ Expressing their frustration against the university administration’s role in the incident, they staged a candle march from Duck Point to Bab-e-Syed.
Student leaders allege that the police entered the university campus with the permission of university administration to stop them from protesting and forcefully confine to their hostel rooms. The tragic incident has left an indelible mark on the collective memory of the student body, leading them to designate December 15 as a day of remembrance.
Students assert that the responsibility for the events of December 15, 2019, lies squarely with the university administration, specifically pointing fingers at the then vice chancellor Dr Tariq Mansoor and the registrar Mohammad Imran (IPS) who allowed the police to enter the campus subjecting students to physical abuse, including lathi-charging and torture.
Recalling the incident, student leaders Muhammad Arif Khan, Zaid Sherwani, Farid Mirza, and Abdul Waheed emphasized that the police’s actions on the night of December 15, 2019, were egregious and violated the sanctity of the campus. They lamented the injuries suffered by their fellow students and the excessive force employed by law enforcement in which a student also lost his hand.
“We have not forgotten the injustices of that night, and we will not forget them. However, our demand is clear: the government must withdraw the cases against the students,” declared the student leaders. The call for justice reverberated through the candle lit march as students chanted slogans condemning the tragic events of December 15, 2019.
