Jamia to construct hostels, provide relief to displaced students

To allay fear of displacement among students caused in the wake of the Batla House encounter, Jamia Millia Islamia is all set to construct two new hostels for its students apart from providing temporary accommodation to students requiring immediate relief.

To allay fear of displacement among students caused in the wake of the Batla House encounter, Jamia Millia Islamia is all set to construct two new hostels for its students apart from providing temporary accommodation to students requiring immediate relief. The boys8217; hostel will be able to accommodate 700 people, while the capacity of the girls8217; hostel is to be 250. The construction of the two hostels, the cost of which is going to be Rs 15 crores, is set to begin shortly.

In addition, to provide accommodation to students who have been dislocated, the authorities have created a temporary dormitory. 8220;The dormitory will accommodate around 60 odd male students, till the time the new hostels have been constructed,8221; said Mushirul Hasan, the Vice-Chancellor of the university.

The decision comes in the wake of several students being evicted from their rented accommodation in the neighbourhood. 8220;Landlords now prefer leasing out to families instead of students. A couple of my acquaintances have had to return home as they were unable to get accommodation,8221; said Ahmad Shahrdooz, first year student of the Faculty of Law.

The university also organised a symposium on 8220;Restoring confidence in the Jamia neighbourhood8221; today at the Ansari auditorium. Various speakers raised pertinent questions about the manner in which the blasts, the encounter, and the accused have been represented. They also reaffirmed their solidarity with Jamia8217;s decision to provide legal support to the accused, who are also students from the university.

Among the speakers, Justice Rajendra Sachar pointed out that the Delhi government was bound to provide legal advice to the accused, who had every right to be defended. 8220;Why should a Muslim always have to be on the defensive?8221; he asked.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university also criticised the role of the media in branding the community and the neighbourhood in a biased manner. 8220;Why should Muslims have to continuously reiterate their commitment to secularism, national unity, democracy and non-violence time and again?8221; he asked.

Meanwhile, students and the faculty were appreciative of the efforts by the symposium to quell fears. 8220;Some of the issues raised today might have helped students to talk about their experiences, and come as a reaffirmation that they are not answerable for all issues,8221; said Rabab Zaidi, a teacher at the Faculty of Architecture.