Jamia Protests: 'Our Only Chance to Keep Democratic Spaces Alive', Say Students

At least 15 students protesting near Jamia Millia Islamia's central canteen are now facing suspension.

PhD scholars Saurabh Tripathi (right) and Jyoti were served notices for protesting on campus.

(Image altered by The Quint)

At least 15 students of Jamia Milia Islamia were detained – and later released – by the Delhi Police on Thursday, 13 February for staging a protest near the university's central canteen. They were then served with suspension letters even as a list containing their names, along with other personal details, was allegedly displayed at the university gate.

The students were holding protests against the university's recent disciplinary actions against two of its PhD scholars who led a protest in December 2024.

Mishkat Tehrim, a first-year MA Sociology student at Jamia, who was among the detained students, told The Quint, "We were not even present near the site where vandalisation of property took place, so their accusation is completely false. I was detained by the police and later got a suspension letter after I was released. Also, the suspension letter is dated 12 February, but I only received it on 13 February at 7 pm [after she was released]."

Heavy deployment of security forces personnel outside Jamia Millia Islamia.

(Photo Credit: Saquiba Khan)

How the Protests Intensified

In December 2024, Jamia had denied permission to students to hold protests to mark the fifth anniversary of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests and the police crackdown that had left several students fatally injured.

"15 December is marked as 'Jamia Resistance Day' by the students to remember the police brutality that took place in 2019," said Saurabh Tripathi, a PhD scholar at Department of Hindi.

"Three days before organising this year's anniversary, we messaged the chief proctor of the university to allow us to protest inside the campus. They denied the request outrightly."

Anti-riot vehicle outside Jamia's campus.

(Photo Credit: Saquiba Khan)

The students went ahead and organised the protest near Jamia's central canteen. Two days later, on 17 December 2024, apart from Tripathi, three other students, including Jyoti, Fuzail Shabbar, and Niranjan KS, were served show cause notices accusing them of paralysing classes and research work and for "fulfilling their malafide political agenda".

"Thousands of students had joined the protest, so why did only the four of us receive the notices? That is something to think about. Their allegations are baseless," added Jyoti, who is also a PhD scholar at the Department of Hindi.

Jyoti, a PhD scholar at Jamia Millia Islamia, is one of the students who had been handed a suspension letter by the university.

(Photo Credit: Amna Mannan, Mohsin Mushtaq)

Later, on 9 February, Tripathi and Jyoti were allegedly sent another notice, stating their reply to the show cause notices was "unsatisfactory".

"Our response was about 18-20 pages long – how could it be deemed unsatisfactory? In that sense, the notice itself is unsatisfactory as it did not even specify which parts of our response were inadequate. We knew what we had to do, and this was our only chance to keep Jamia's democratic spaces alive. Otherwise, the students will always live in fear."

Jyoti, PhD Scholar, Department of Hindi

Opposing the disciplinary committee's actions and show cause notices against the PhD scholars, student unions organised a sit-in protest on 10 February, demanding the withdrawal of the notices and asserting their right to protest on campus.

Students protesting disciplinary action taken by the Jamia Millia Islamia on 10 February.

(Photo Credit: Saquiba Khan)

Students Evicted

Three days later, on 13 February, at least 15 students were evicted from the protest site and detained by the Delhi Police. Suspension letters were then issued to them, with the list of those detained allegedly displayed on the university campus.

According to university officials, the protesting students vandalised university property, including the central canteen, and broke the gate to the security advisor's office, forcing the administration to act.

"These handful of students have in the last two days vandalised university property, including the central canteen, and also broken the gate of the security advisor forcing the Jamia administration to take action. Taking preventive measures, today morning (13 February), the university administration and the proctorial team removed the students from the site of the protest, and they have been evicted from the campus. The police have been requested to maintain law and order situation."

Official Statement Of Jamia Millia Islamia

The protesting students alleged that the police have been calling their parents, which they see as "a breach of privacy" and an "attempt to malign" their image.

"I believe the university administration unlawfully shared our personal information with the police... That's unacceptable. The university cannot silence dissent — it goes against student democracy," said Neha, a second-year MA Media Governance student and representative of the All India Students' Association (AISA-JMI).

A sea of protesting students outside the central canteen at Jamia Millia Islamia on 13 February.

(Photo Credit: Saquiba Khan)

"Delhi Police contacted my local guardian, pressuring them to share my parents' contact details. When they refused, I believe the police obtained the number from the university administration. They then called my father, urging him to ask me to stop protesting and leave the site. They even requested that he inform them once I had left the protest. These calls were made before the list of detained students was displayed at the university gate."

Sonakshi Gupta, Student, Media Governance

The Quint reached out to the Public Relations Officer and the Chief Media Coordinator of Jamia Millia Islamia over these allegations. Their response is awaited.

Apart from the students demanding the administration to revoke the suspension letters and show cause notices served to the students, they are calling for the withdrawal of the 2022 Office Memorandum that restricts protests on campus.