No students’ union for 20 years, 5 Jamia students go on hunger strike

Five students at Jamia Millia Islamia have embarked on an indefinite hunger strike, seeking the re-establishment of the university's students' union. This demand, unresolved for nearly two decades, comes as Jamia has not held elections since 2006. The students argue that the absence of a students' union suppresses their voices and prevents them from raising concerns about basic amenities and academic issues.

Jamia officials dispute the claim that the protesters are students, suggesting they are outsiders. The administration cites potential law and order issues as a reason against holding elections. Jamia's last students' union elections took place in 2005, after which the elected body was dissolved due to alleged campus violence. The university has since favored departmental-level representation over a university-wide elected union.

In 2012, the university ruled out holding union elections, proposing instead the strengthening of subject associations. A petition filed in the Delhi High Court in 2012 was dismissed in 2022, allowing the university to decide on future elections. The protesters urge the university to write to the Vice-Chancellor and conduct elections, emphasizing the importance of democratic representation.