No protesting students will apologise; hunger strike will continue: Jamia students

New Delhi, Oct 26 (IANS) Jamia Millia Islamia students have formally submitted their demands to the Vice-Chancellor, seeking a revision of the notification from the Registrar's Office regarding the hunger strike, and insisting that the students' demands be "fully addressed".

The Jamia Millia Islamia administration on Monday accepted the demands of the protesting students and announced it would hold students' union elections and constitute a committee to draft a students' union constitution, while adding that the action against the protestors would be revoked. However, it did not provide a timeline for the procedure.

In a letter to the University's Vice-Chancellor, the students stated that the "hunger strike and peaceful" protest will continue until their demands are met.

The demands include a clear timeline for the Students' Union Constitution and elections, revocation of disciplinary actions against protesters, and the resignation of the Chief Security Advisor.

"No protesting students will apologise for implementing their constitutional right of peacefully protesting," the students' letter read.

"Until these demands are met, we will be continuing our hunger strike and the peaceful protest. We urge the university administration to take these demands and ensure that the process of establishing the Students' Union proceeds within the stipulated timelines," they said.

"The students expect a clear commitment from the administration to address these demands and facilitate the formation of a democratically elected Students' Union," the letter read.

Earlier in the day, the students, in a statement, rejected the administration's notice, stating that it fails to provide a clear and unambiguous commitment to the restoration of the students' union and maintained that their agitation will continue until all their demands are fully addressed.

The students expressed dissatisfaction with what they describe as a "vague and inadequate order", pointing out that it provides "neither a definite timeline for approval of the students' union constitution nor a clear roadmap for conducting union elections".

"The notice also makes no mention of the resignation of the Proctor and the Security Advisor, which are among the other demands raised by the protesting students," the statement read.

In an order issued on Monday, the University said that the elections would be held within 15 days of the approval of the students' union constitution, without providing a timeline for the same.

The students have been protesting since October 12 to restore the Jamia Millia Islamia Students' Union (JMISU), which was dissolved in 2006. Several students have been on a hunger strike, demanding restoration of the JMISU and the removal of the University's Chief Proctor over a "crackdown" on protestors.

--IANS

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