After four-year gap, ABVP forms fresh unit in Jamia university

The RSS-affiliated students’ body said this is its largest unit at the university so far. The last unit comprised six members and fell apart in 2013 after its members graduated from the institution.

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The unit also comprises four vice-presidents, four joint secretaries, a sports secretary, a cultural coordinator, a social media coordinator, a girls’ coordinator and a girls co-coordinator.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) Monday formed a 15-member unit at Jamia Millia Islamia after a gap of four years. The RSS-affiliated students’ body said this is its largest unit at the university so far. The last unit comprised six members and fell apart in 2013 after its members graduated from the institution.

Sharf Ilahi, a PhD student of Chemistry, and Asif Aftab, a BA final-year student of Economics, were unanimously elected as the president and secretary respectively. The unit also comprises four vice-presidents, four joint secretaries, a sports secretary, a cultural coordinator, a social media coordinator, a girls’ coordinator and a girls co-coordinator.

Ilahi, who has been associated with the ABVP since his college days at Rae Bareli, said the unit would focus on two major issues in the coming days: hostels for students and ensuring students’ union elections. They will also focus on organising programmes to instill “patriotism and brotherhood” among students. Of late, protests have started at the university by various students’ organisations to restart student body polls, which have been banned since 2006.

“A union is absolutely necessary for student issues to be addressed in an effective manner. Without that, even small issues are not resolved and students are sent running from pillar to post. Similarly, hostels are also a big problem. A lot of students who need hostels don’t actually get them because people use their contacts to get seats,” said Ilahi.

Both Ilahi and Aftab said they joined the ABVP because of its “nationalist” character and said they would try and get students to join for the same reason. “It could be a little difficult to get students at Jamia to join us but we want students to associate with us and shatter the myth that the organisation works for a specific religion or community. They will see that we always give priority to students’ interest and national interest,” said Aftab.

ABVP Central Working Committee member Saurabh Sharma, also former joint secretary of the JNU Students’ Union, said, “We have never had such a big unit at Jamia and we were able to form it because we have been working here for the past one year or so. This year, we did admission assistance, along with flag hoisting on Independence Day. We will work without any religious, caste or regional bias and the focus will only be on student issues.”