If you are reading this, and strongly despise students of Jamia, JNU, AMU or other students who are out on streets protesting for their rights, then this piece of writing will be a mere disappointment to you.
I guess you are still here. Being a student of Jamia Millia Islamia, I believe that it is my responsibility to let people know what we students want right now. As of now, after witnessing the deadly incident of December 15, 2019, all we want is safety within our campus and a trial against those who brutally beat up the students.
I see those abusive posts on social media, accusing the protesting students of terrorism, calling them anti-nationals and what not. I have a question, Is peacefully protesting not the right of an Indian citizen? If not, then how do you expect a common human to show dissent? Or do you believe that there is no place left for dissent in this nation because we are trying to convert this democratic country into a dictatorship?
I was not there on the campus when the Delhi Police attacked Jamia. I don’t know whether I should feel lucky that I didn’t go to the University that day, or feel guilty for not being there with my friends, who were beaten, thrashed and were made to leave the campus with their hands up. Were they criminals? No, they were students who were studying in the library, some were simply hanging out with their friends. None of them was spared, not even girls and handicapped students.
Now you might say that not all were studying; what about those who were out on the road protesting and pelting stones? About that, the proctor of Jamia Millia Islamia has himself, confirmed in an interview, that they had asked all the students to stay in the campus, as soon as they got to know about the clash at Mathura road.
No Jamia student pelted stones when the Police barged in. Apart from that, the police didn’t enter through the main gate. They went inside the campus through the back gate – that is, through Gate number 4. We all know what happened next. Many students were beaten and detained. Some hid inside washrooms and terrace.
The police didn’t even show mercy on the library, tear gas was thrown inside the reading hall. Girls have alleged that their hair was pulled by the policemen.
After witnessing those horrendous events, students want the Vice-Chancellor to lodge an FIR against Delhi Police, as the VC has claimed that the police entered without the permission of the authorities. Lots of students are not able to return to the campus as their parents are not sure of their safety. Many careers are at stake, those responsible for all this have created a mockery of education.
We are being called anti-nationals, terrorists, urban-Naxals. Well, I must say this:
Despite studying so much, if I can’t stand for the unjust behaviour of the authorities, then I just wasted all of it.
If you are at a place, where you have enough sense of distinguishing between the good and bad, and you choose to remain silent, then you are taking the side of the oppressor.
It’s been more than a month now, since that ‘Bloody Sunday’, and no action has been taken so far. It seems like justice is no longer served to the oppressed.