The protest demanding the restoration of student union elections at Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi ended on Monday, October 26, after the university administration agreed to three major demands raised by students. Following the administration's decision, the protesting students called off their hunger strike, with the university issuing a written order after receiving a written submission from the students. Under the agreement, Jamia Millia Islamia will conduct student union elections within 15 days of the approval of the formation of the student union. The decision marks a key development in the students' ongoing agitation over the restoration of the electoral process on campus.
The university administration agreed to three major demands. The first was the restoration of student union elections. The second was the withdrawal of disciplinary action taken against students during the protest. The third was the formation of a committee to investigate the conduct of security staff during the agitation.
As part of the decision, suspension orders and show-cause notices issued to students during the protest will be withdrawn. The university will also constitute a committee to examine the actions of security personnel during the demonstrations.
The agreement also records an undertaking by the protesting students concerning statements and social media posts directed against the university administration. The students said they would issue a public apology through a press conference for any defamatory statements, actions or posts made during their protest against the administration. All such posts will be removed immediately from social media channels. The undertaking has been placed on record, and compliance will be monitored.
The developments came amid tensions on the campus on Sunday, when a suspicious young man wearing a security guard's uniform entered the Ghalib Statue lawn at around 6:30 pm, where students had been protesting for student union elections. He allegedly began raising slogans of “Free Kashmir”. Students already present at the protest site caught him and handed him over to the police.
Separately, police removed around six protesters who were raising slogans and creating a commotion outside Gate No. 7 in support of the agitation. The suspicious man taken into police custody identified himself as a delivery worker from Ghaziabad. He was questioned by police and said he worked for Blinkit.
With the administration accepting the students' three principal demands and the hunger strike coming to an end, the written agreement establishes a framework for the proposed student union elections, the withdrawal of disciplinary notices and an inquiry into the conduct of campus security staff.
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