Jamia students vacate hostel over safety

NEW DELHI: Post Sunday's violent protest over Citizen Amendment Act (CAA), outside Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMI), majority of students have vacated the hostel facility as they fear the police may enter the vicinity anytime and “harm them”. Speaking to the Millennium Post, a student sitting in protest outside the university said that many of his friends are going to relatives' places nearby. “We don't feel safe inside our own hostels. We are not running away, we are just moving because we fear for our safety,” he said.

Students and locals in the area, both have alleged that it was the police who started violence when they were marching towards Kalindi Kunj. “They started using lathi and started running after us. It is then, both students and the locals barged inside the campus to save themselves,” said Irfan, a local who lives at Jamia.

Meanwhile, rumors are doing rounds that the administration has asked the students to vacate the hostel. “We are vacating hostels from ourselves. We don't want to stay there at all. You never know what might the police do at night,” said Umair a Master's student at Jamia Millia.

Numerous protesters said that there were two different calls for protest. “We both were having peaceful protests. The students were inside and a few outside the campus, while the locals were demonstrating a march,” said Tabassum, a master's student, who was protesting against police brutality.

She said that the main protest is against CAA, which has been implemented by this regime to divide the country. “But I am glad people have realised the reality of this government. Our friends at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Delhi University (DU) have also joined our hands,” she told the correspondent.

Meanwhile, female students have alleged that they are being made to sign a bond stating that the police did not enter the girls hostel. “I can't confirm about the bond, but what I can confirm is that police did enter the girls hostel,” added Tabassum.