Delhi: Several Jamia students boycott classes, warn of escalation in protests

On Monday, over a hundred students gathered at the Mohibul Hasan Block before marching towards the Dean of Students’ Welfare (DSW) office amid chants of “Reclaim Jamia”, as per an AISA statement.

“The administration has thrown students into the hands of the police, suspended and banned them on baseless allegations,” read the memorandum submitted to the DSW by a group of students.

The students have demanded revocation of FIRs, suspensions, and all disciplinary proceedings against dissenting students; an immediate end to the issuance of showcause notices for peaceful protests; and the repeal of office memoranda dated August 29, 2022, and November 29, 2024, which have been used to justify disciplinary action.

“In a show of solidarity, students from all departments boycotted classes, amplifying their demands and sending a clear message to the administration that they will not back down until their voices are heard and their rights are restored,” the statement underlined. The students gave the administration 48 hours to respond to their demands, vowing to escalate the protests if no action was taken.

The varsity did not respond to requests for comment.

For many, this action against students has prompted broader concerns about what they describe as “shrinking democratic spaces” within universities across the country. “Jamia is being systematically transformed into an institution where dissent is punishable,” said a professor on condition of anonymity.

Members of Left-affiliated groups have been protesting against show-cause notices issued by the varsity last year to students who had organised Jamia Resistance Day on December 15, 2024. The event marks the 2019 protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and has been observed annually by students. The university had formed a disciplinary committee to look into allegations of sloganeering at the event, which is scheduled to review the students’ role on February 25.

On December 1 last year, JMI had said that “no protests, dharnas, and raising slogans against any constitutional dignitaries shall be allowed on any part of the University campus” as it warned of disciplinary action.