Students had objected to inviting Ajmer Dargah blast accused and Muslim Rashtriya Manch member Indresh Kumar to an Iftar event on campus
Jamia Millia Islamia University, is perhaps, an example of an administration that’s not keyed into the feelings or politics of its students. Students staged a protest against an Iftar party organised by Muslim Rashtriya Manch, the RSS’s Muslim wing, on Monday evening. The MRM had invited RSS leader and patron Indresh Kumar as the chief guest at the Iftar party in the university even as Kumar had only recently been cleared in the 2007 Ajmer Dargah blast case.
Several students and organisations had written a memorandum to the Vice Chancellor, asking that the event be cancelled. “How can the administration provide university space for organising Iftar party by RSS and invite a blast convict as chief guest ?,” asked Vani S, a PhD student. Students organised a ‘counter Iftar party’ on the same day, between 6 pm and 8 pm outside gate number seven. “There was a meeting yesterday and we were told to bring food on our own. Holding placards and breaking fast were the modes of protest we decided,” said Amjad Karunagappally, implying that the protest was initially planned to be peaceful, unlike what it eventually turned into.
A massive contingent of police and security were already in place by the time the students arrived. Students were additionally screened and asked for their identification cards to enter the campus. Some students allege that those inside the hostel were restrained by the security guards.
Initially, there were less than 20 students gathered outside the in order to take part in counter iftar. But, the on seeing the huge force deployed outside the university, students ran around and mobilized others. “We never expected such a massive police force. Now I have no idea where is this going,” said Shuhaib Nazar.
Within minutes, around 150 protesters bused to demonstrate against the event. As the slogans ‘Indresh Kumar go back’ and ‘RSS go back’, pierced the air, black flags were being waved by the protestors. “Even if the varsity administration heed to RSS agenda to saffronise the campus, we, the Jamia students will not allow this at any cost,” Farhan Ahmed, a PhD student told Newslaundry. But even as the students were stopped by the police -Kumar, ensconced inside said triple talaq is a sin and suggested that eating meat was a disease.
However, the protesters couldn’t go far as they were immediately stopped by the police barricades. Traffic was interrupted for almost twenty minutes. As students continued sloganeering, police created a human chain and allowed vehicles pass.
