Jamia continues peaceful protest for 5th consecutive day

New Delhi: The protest outside Jamia Millia Islamia University on Friday continued for the fifth consecutive day with a massive crowd joining in from nearby areas. Small groups of people took out rallies from Jamia Nagar, Shaheen Bagh and Nai Basti at Okhla and joined the already brimming crowd at Jamia.

From slogans to paintings and postcards, people stood on the roads protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and NRC, which has brought thousands on the streets. "Jamia students were beaten up, a lot of us were injured, but this has, on the other hand, united everyone," said Emad, a Gender Studies student.

Waving the tri-color, students, locals and people from far away places joined the protest. Since December 15 protest outside Jamia Millia Islamia has turned peaceful where hundreds have joined and are collectively working so that no nuisance is created during the demonstrations. "We disperse after 6 pm because we don't want any element to create difficulty for us," said Emad.

On the other hand, JMI Vice-Chancellor Najma Akhtar urged the university students not be misled by any rumors. In a letter to students, she assured that the varsity is with them and will provide them with "full financial and emotional support."

Akhtar had called the police's entry in the campus on December 15 "condemnable" and had called for a judicial inquiry into the matter. But the students have criticized her stance and said she has been changing her statements ever since. "We don't expect anything from her. We believe she might also be the reason why the police entered the campus," said Sadaf a masters student at Jamia.

Looking at the effect of Sunday night, Jamia Teachers' Association (JTA) has established a committee that will be catering towards the legal and medical aspects of the students. Speaking to Millennium Post Sonya, Latin America professor at Jamia and member of the committee said, "First of all, we are making a report by taking down the testimonies of the student. Even today students are being interviewed and their testimonies are being written down." She also added that the well-being of the students is the first priority. "A committee that will be looking after the students who have experienced mental trauma has also been established. First, it is important to cater to their well being," she added.

Meanwhile, Jamia Coordination Committee on Friday established a legal help desk, comprising of law students who took down the complaints of the injured and distressed students. Speaking to Millennium Post, Shahid a JCC member said, "There are three categories under which the FIR will be filed one is police brutality on male students, police brutality on female students, who were injured and third students who have been mentally traumatized due to the whole incident. Police had brutally beaten up students and had used expired tear gas, all this will also be written down in the report."

The report will be discussed and accordingly sent to the concerned authorities. The help desk saw numerous students coming and filling forms detailing their distress and injuries. A student, who didn't want to be named came to the help desk and had received injuries on his head.

"I am mentally disturbed since the whole incident and I want to file a complaint against the police," said a student at the help desk.

The alumni of Jamia have also come together to support the students. A 'sign if you are against CAA' blank posters were hung around, where hundreds of people signed stating how CAA and NRC should be abolished. An alumni Feroz Ali who had come up with the idea for the signing poster said, "Now, it is time for the authorities to have a dialogue with the protesters. They can clearly see no one is happy with this bill. It is time they have a dialogue with the people. We are clearly ready for it," he said.

Meanwhile, protests are being witnessed everywhere, from institutions to common person, protest against CAA are being witnessed everywhere. At Banaras Hindu University (BHU) students have been detained and beaten up.

"The detainees haven't been released yet. Why are they arresting peaceful protesters is what I can't understand," said Tabassum, a former student of BHU.