Students of Jamia Millia Islamia haven’t contested a student union poll ever since the elected body was dissolved in March 2006. In the 11 years since students feel their “democratic rights have been curbed”.
According to a report by The Indian Express, various groups have together formed a Joint Action Committee (JAC) to demand elections. The committee includes representatives from groups like National Students’ Union of India, Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti, All India Students’ Association and the Jamia Students’ Forum.
The JAC has decided to march to the Vice Chancellor’s office on 5 October with their demand.
A member of the Jamia Students’ Forum, Meeran Haider, told The Indian Express that they will escalate the protest if the VC doesn’t announce polls by 10 October.
According to a report by The Times of India, VC Talat Ahmad said that he’s in favour of elections to Jamia Students Council, but some students are opposed to it. To this Haider replied that such a body would only be a dummy council for the VC to dissolve at any time.
Petition for Students’ Union in Delhi High Court
In 2011, some students had moved the Delhi High Court on the matter. One of those students, Hameed Ur Rahman told The Times of India that the court had formed a five-member committee to hold students’ union elections, but it wasn’t accepted by the organisation.
The VC said that he can’t allow elections to form a students’ union as the matter is sub-judice. He said that it might be possible if the former student withdrew his petition in the High Court. The petitioner said that if this is the case, the VC should send him a letter regarding the same and he’d take his petition back.
Students had asked for the polls to be conducted in 2015 as well, but nothing came out of it.
According to a report published in The Pioneer, Ahmad had then said, “I assure you that we have representation of students through class representatives and from elected members from each class.”
The student body was abolished in 2006 upon claims that it was interfering with administrative work.
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