Peaceful protests continue in city against CAA and NRC

New Delhi: Protests against Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizen (NRC) continued in Jamia Millia Islamia on Thursday, as it entered its eleventh day. Meanwhile, other parts of the national Capital also witnessed peaceful protests including North Campus.

Heading the protests, Jamia Coordination Committee organised various events, including speech by prominent authors and activists. Continuing their peaceful protests, the students have also recreated an "outside library" near gate number — 7. As Dr. Zakir Husain Library inside the campus was allegedly vandalised by the police, the students brought books and sat in a corner to read them.

Delhi University too has also been protesting against CAA and NRC and holding events to inform people about the same. Various speakers have been visiting the university and addressing the protesting crowd.

"We will keep protesting till the time this draconian bill is not taken back," said Zainab, a student of Jamia. Applauding the solidarity, she said that Jamia has been successful in bringing together the masses, even though the cost they had to bear was immense.

On the other hand, a fact-finding team that visited Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) after the violent protests on December 13 and 15, on Thursday revealed a report stating incidents of police brutalities and calling it a "picture of terror" and "police as a lawless force sanctioned to quell dissent". They have also demanded an FIR be registered against the Delhi Police.

On a four day visit to the university, after alleged violence inside the university on December 13 and 15, a fact-finding team of People's Union on Democratic Rights (PUDR) stated, "Ahead of December 15 the police stopped the protesters on 13th and lathi-charged and tear-gassed them while they were trying to march towards Parliament."

The team spoke to a number of students, teaching and non-teaching staff on campus, doctors, injured students, their parents, local residents and other eye witness. "We also visited campus and found broken locks, empty tear-gas shells, broken windows and furniture, blood on the floor, among many other visible signs of destruction of that night," said the report.

The students who had been protesting from December 12, against the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) and NRC, was continued on December 13, where the students had called for a march. However, the police had stopped the marching students. "Soon the students got atop the barricade, and on the other side of the road, they were able to push over the barricade. The police hit students with lathis to push them back towards the campus," stated the report.

However, someone from the crowd threw a stone, which was followed by some other people. However, the report suggests that no student threw rocks at the police personnel. The report then stated that on Sunday (December 15), used "excessive lathi-charging" and "teargasing" to restrain a thousand-strong rally. "The DGP (South East) claims that this was necessary to control a violent mob of protesters. But the modus operandi and nature of injuries on those admitted at hospitals for injuries during the violence indicate otherwise," claimed the report.

It further goes on to say that the destruction of CCTV cameras by the police force at the gate, inside the campus, and at the library and reading rooms is clear evidence of the intention of the police force to indulge in actions that are prohibited and amount to criminal offenses.

"PUDR demands that an FIR be registered against the Delhi Police for brutal use of force in and around Jamia Millia Islamia University, and that a Commission of Inquiry be instituted to examine the anauthorised, and unjustified excessive use of force and wanton acts of destruction by the Delhi Police," stated the report.

Meanwhile, the Jamia administration has approached the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) to initiate a probe led by a committee or judicial power into the Delhi police entering the university's campus without permission.

They have sent a report regarding the same to the ministry. The report was sent on December 20.