Jamia Millia Islamia Protest Ends After Deal on Union Polls, Disciplinary Action

Jamia Millia Islamia students have ended their protest after striking a deal with the university administration. The agitation lasted almost two weeks and centred on two demands — the return of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students' Union (JMISU) and the withdrawal of disciplinary action against students.

The Registrar issued the order. It said the protest ends at once after the administration and the agitating students reached a mutual understanding. It also said the university will hold student union elections within 15 days of approving the union constitution.

The university will also withdraw the suspensions and show-cause notices issued during the protest. It will form a committee to review the conduct of security personnel during the agitation. As part of the deal, the protesting students will hold a press conference and publicly apologise for alleged offensive remarks and social media posts against the administration during the protest.

Union Demands And Strike

Students pressed for JMISU’s return and for disciplinary action against them to be dropped. They said the university has not held student union elections since 2006 and wanted elected representation back on campus.

The agitation began nearly two weeks ago and had intensified in recent days. The protest centred on the absence of union polls and on action taken against students who joined the agitation.

The Students' Federation of India stated that four students had been on an indefinite hunger strike. It also said a PhD scholar, identified as Sanam, had been holding an indefinite sit-in at the Gulistan-e-Ghalib lawns.

Saturday Mediation Effort

The administration tried again on Saturday. More than 1,500 teaching and non-teaching staff members joined Vice-Chancellor Mazhar Asif and Registrar Md Mahtab Alam Rizvi in a march from the Ansari Auditorium lawns to Gate No. 7, where the protesters had gathered.

The university stated that staff members repeatedly appealed to the students for more than two hours to vacate the protest site. It stated that the protesters refused to leave despite those appeals.

The university said some students shoved security personnel, teachers and staff during the exchange. Staff then left the spot. The Students' Federation of India, however, said hundreds of police personnel detained students outside Gate 7 as the agitation went on.

Police Case And Restrictions

The agitation, which began on October 12, also triggered police action. Delhi Police registered an FIR against three Members of Parliament after Jamia Millia Islamia's administration complained that they had trespassed on the campus and incited unrest during the agitation.

The MPs named in the case are Congress Lok Sabha MP Imran Masood, Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi and Samajwadi Party MP Mohibullah Nadvi, police sources said. The complaint relates to the student protest over restoring union elections.

Protesters have been seeking the restoration of JMISU, which was disbanded in 2006 after campus violence and academic disruptions. Before the settlement, a group of students was on hunger strike as negotiations remained stalled. Citing safety concerns, the university announced on Saturday that physical classes would move online. Security personnel and Delhi Police officers have been heavily deployed, especially at Gate No. 4, and the administration has restricted entry for student safety.