Jamia bulls crack down on protesting students at 4:25 AM

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A peaceful hunger strike by some Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) hostel students over mess fee hike was forcefully brought to an end by university authorities, including bulls, at about 4:25 AM on Thursday, according to eyewitnesses.

They told OKHLA TIMES that bulls chased students out of the campus in the morning and terrorized them to surrender. Nobody was injured or beaten up, but a few students were detained, according to sources.

Initially more than thousand students had assembled outside provost office at about 9 PM on Wednesday to protest. But slowly students started moving out and till 4:25 AM only 50 students were left, according to a student, who doesn’t want to be named. (Also read: Empty stomach, students demand rollback. Will authorities oblige them?)

It was at this time that the bulls, who had assembled in huge numbers, swooped down on protesting students, said a student. “Students were scared and started running helter-skelter for safety. Some even ran until Julena for saving their life. University authorities used force to disperse a peaceful protest,” said the protesting student, who anyhow managed to give a slip to the bulls and ran to Julena.

Journalist camera seized
Even a journalist was not spared. His camera was seized by university authorities.

“Initially they tried to delete all my crucial photos that I had taken. When they failed to do so they kept my memory card and promised to hand it over to me today. There was chaos on the campus as I saw firsthand how bulls were trying to terrorize innocent students who had turned up to demand a rollback. Besides, the crackdown was justified by authorities saying that protesting boys were not students and property dealers. This story has been made up by the authorities,” said Nisar Khan, a photo journalist, who was on the spot taking photos of the protest.

Protest to resume
Early morning the campus wore a deserted look with many hostel students planning to resume protest again. Students continue their hunger strike as they didn’t had breakfast. According to an insider, students have decided to add more demands to their list of complaint. (Also read: Mess fee hike: Jamia hostel students on hunger strike, university tense)

The first round of talks between protesting students and Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) authorities on the issue of mess fees rollback failed to yield positive results. Provost, proctor and wardens assured protesting students that fee would not be hiked anymore, according to students on the spot.

“But students didn’t take their words on face value and demanded a written statement. They fear that in a month time mess fee would be increased. In the last one year the fee from Rs 1100 was increased to Rs 2000. Each time the authorities give an excuse that food inflation is forcing them to increase the price. But now enough is enough. We will continue our hunger strike until the authorities don’t give in writing about the rollback,” said a student on the condition of anonymity.

A representative from JNU attended the protest and assured students that the union and university students will back their fight against mess fee hike. Some protesting students have even approached the winning NSUI candidates of DU for support.