BeyondHeadlines News Desk
New Delhi: Students and the alumni community of Jamia Millia Islamia are concerned about the violence meted out to the students of the university today. The police entered the campus without the university authority’s permission and beat up students, injuring dozens, and destroying the university property. Many of them were studying in the university library, which was tear-gassed, and students were detained.
By the latest account, students are still being treated for injuries in different hospitals in Delhi. The detained students – some 50 – have been released, thanks to the vigil by fellow students, alumni, civil society and the media.
In the light of many unsubstantiated claims going around, we want to clarify a few facts:
1. Today’s protest by Jamia students was peaceful and was confined to the campus.
2. Jamia students condemn the violence, including that by the police. The attack on media persons is heinous and Jamia students were not involved.
3. We condemn the highhandedness of the police. It was arbitrary and discriminatory and was an attack on a sacred space of a democratic society. Action must be taken against the policemen who indulged in violence.
4. We reiterate that we stand by every peaceful protest on CAA and NRC happening across the country. No amount of diversion tactic will stop us from protesting against discriminatory and anti-democratic laws. We appeal to you to be cautious of the attempts being made to term the protests communal. We must remain united.
5. We request people to not share unverified information. However well-intentioned they may be, they can discredit a noble movement being spearheaded by students.
As the Jamia community, we are thankful to students from other universities and members of civil society who have come out in our support and those who are still protesting across the country. We are thankful to the section of the media who have stuck to the fact.
We appeal to the people of India to continue to protest the onslaught on our rights in a peaceful manner.
We will continue to resist.
