Locals join anti-caa protests at Jamia
Exams at Jamia Millia Islamia University have been canceled and vacations have been declared till January 5
NEW DELHI: As protests over Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) continued on Monday, with locals joining the students, Jamia Millia Islamia University was shut with
little movement and broken windows and stones scattered everywhere. Speaking to a security guard inside the campus, Millennium Post learnt that they were also beaten up on Sunday night when the police allegedly entered the campus vicinity.
“Security guards in their uniforms were beaten up by the police. By the time anyone could understand what was happening, the police had started shelling tear gas inside the campus,” said a guard standing outside gate number
13. The guards alleged that racist slurs were also thrown at them.
Meanwhile, the campus stood in dead silence with broken glass and windows everywhere. The doors and windows of Zakir Husain College were smashed. All the doors and windows were broken, while the plants at the staircase were also broken. The study center windows were also broken and vandalised. This is the same place where numerous students were reading when the police allegedly entered and started to beat them.
“I was inside the centre
myself when the police came in. We were beaten by lathis, both girls and boys. They also threw tear gas inside the campus. But we started suffocating and somehow managed to reach the first floor,” said a student, who didn't want to name himself.
On the other hand, the protest has been called off for the night. “We might continue it on Tuesday, but as of now, students have called off the protest, while some locals are still outside the campus,” said a student. However, the students walk around injured and traumatized
after the whole incident. “I can say more than 200 students have been injured. Some have been injured more than the others,” said the student. Meanwhile, students say a hoarse of their friends are still injured and have been admitted at nearby hospitals. The correspondent had witnessed many students bleeding from head and mouth, escorted by the police in the van.
Many students have gone home or have shifted from the hostel due to safety. Meanwhile, exams have been canceled and vacations have been
declared till January 5.
Many students said they are mentally traumatized because of the whole incident. “I am just happy to be alive,” said Ainaz, a Master's student at Jamia. The vice-chancellor, meanwhile, has condemned the whole incident and demanded a high-level inquiry. There is a lot of anger towards the police, where the students say instead of supporting they turned monsters. “They did not spare anyone. I have never witnessed such brutality,” said Umair, who is still shakenm after the incident.