Zillar Barta Desk,New Delhi : Students of Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi are continuing their hunger strike, demanding the restoration of the elected students’ union and a clear, time-bound schedule for holding elections. The protest, which began on October 12, has developed into a major campus agitation, with students insisting that their demand for democratic representation must be addressed through a formal written commitment from the university administration.
The students have rejected the administration’s recent assurances, arguing that the proposed election process lacks a definite deadline for approval of the students’ union constitution. Although the university has agreed in principle to hold elections after the constitution is approved, protesters say the announcement does not resolve their central concern.
The continuing agitation has intensified the standoff between students and the university administration, bringing questions of student representation, campus governance and the right to participate in university decision-making into the spotlight.
The principal demand of the protesters is the restoration of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU), which has remained dissolved since 2006. Students argue that an elected union would provide a recognised platform to raise grievances, represent the interests of the student community and engage directly with university authorities on matters affecting campus life.
According to reports, five students began an indefinite hunger strike on October 12. As the protest continued, other students and campus groups joined the agitation, expressing solidarity with the hunger strikers and calling for the revival of the elected student body.
The protesters have demanded a clear timetable for drafting and approving the union constitution, followed by a definite date for the election process. They have argued that a commitment to conduct elections only after the constitution receives approval leaves a crucial stage of the process without a fixed deadline.
For the students, the issue is not simply whether elections will eventually take place, but whether the administration will provide a transparent and time-bound roadmap that guarantees the restoration of student representation.
