Students of Jamia Millia Islamia University were forcibly evicted from the campus at around 5 am on October 17, on the fifth day of their indefinite hunger strike demanding the reinstatement of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU). Acting under the direction of the Chief Proctor, the administration forcibly removed the hunger-striking students, switched off campus lights, and handed the students over to Delhi Police after they were beaten, manhandled, harassed and dragged out of the campus.
The eviction took place amid a heavy police presence, with police and paramilitary forces deployed on campus. The administration subsequently sealed the campus, shut down university activities and closed all gates, effectively denying students access to their own university.
From 3 pm, students gathered at Gate 7, demanding the reopening of the campus and the restoration of the students’ union. Despite police detentions and threats from the administration, students re-entered the campus and continued their sit-in. The students’ determination to continue their protest reflects their resolve to defend democratic rights and challenge the administration’s attempt to suppress their movement through force.
The students had launched their indefinite hunger strike to demand the reinstatement of the elected students’ union. Rather than engaging with them or addressing their demands, the administration chose to use force, deploy police and paramilitary personnel, and shut down the campus. The crackdown is part of a broader assault on students’ democratic rights and the right to organise and protest within university spaces.
CPI(ML) Liberation strongly condemns the forcible eviction of hunger-striking students, the use of violence against them and the closure of the campus. Jamia belongs to its students, not the administration or the police.
