Coverage by India's National Newspaper 

11 April, 2000
11 April, 2000
11 April, 2000
13 April, 2000
14 April, 2000
14 April, 2000
15 April, 2000
18 April, 2000
19 April, 2000
20 April, 2000
21 April, 2000

11 April

Terming the police assault on the students as "barbaric", Congress spokesman Ajit Jogi said a four-member fact-finding team deputed by party president Sonia Gandhi to visit the campus had reported that the cops had needlessly resorted to violence. Led by AICC secretary Mukul Wasnik, the team found that the policemen did not spare even those students who were studying in the library and beat them up after forcibly entering the place, he said.

The most objectionable action, Mr Jogi stated, was that the policemen entered a masjid located on the campus and beat up its imam who had to be admitted to hospital for treatment. By entering the holy place with their shoes on, they had also defiled its sanctity, he added.

Sheila's remark: Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's remark on Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi has apparently caused some embarrassment to the Congress high command. In sharp contrast to the party's stand on the issue, Mrs Dikshit reportedly said at Kanpur yesterday that Rabri Devi should resign on moral grounds even though she has been granted bail in the disproportionate assets case.

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11 April

Speaking to The Hindustan Times, a senior university official said that talks with the police were on and that most students were expected to be released by tonight.

The university is "unhappy" with the police for entering the campus. "We wish to make it clear that we didn't give permission to the police for entering the campus," the official clarified.

The official also said that the examination schedule has been postponed till April 16. "We initially felt that some students may be affected by the transport strike. But the violent incidents on the campus also influenced the decision. We are waiting for things to get back to normal," the official said.

The university authorities also held talks with the teachers' associations throughout the day to resolve the crisis. While the talks focused on the examination schedule, emphasis was also placed on getting the arrested students released by the police. Reacting to certain statements by some teachers and students, expressing disappointment with the response of the university administration, the official said that it wasn't true.

"The administration has been working round the clock to bring the situation back to normal," he stressed.

Responding to the violence within the hostel premises and the statements of students, who alleged that the provost of the S R K Hostel was also attacked by the police, the official maintained that the university was examining the matter comprehensively. "Though no formal enquiry committee has been constituted, three senior professors of the university have been asked to talk to those concerned and examine the matter," the official said.

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Jamia Teachers' Association, Inayet Zaidi has criticised the police for entering the campus. Addressing the agitated students this morning at the campus, he said that the teachers of the university were completely with the students on this issue.

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11 April

Students alleged that the police had mercilessly beaten up students and damaged property in the hostels.

Around 60 persons, including students and policemen, were reportedly injured in Sunday's event.

While most of the students were reportedly discharged today, one of them, Azad Ali, is still under observation at the Safdarjung Hospital, where his condition is reported to be stable.

According to hospital staff, he had sustained head injuries. Students also claimed that more than 100 students were still missing from the hostels.

The trouble began on Sunday evening when police arrived at the campus to arrest two ex-students of the university, Mubarak Alam and Rizwan, who had allegedly caused grievous injury to another student in January.

The police stated that they had received information that Mubarak Alam had been spotted outside a shop near the university. The police said that when Mubarak was arrested, a group of fifty students mobbed police and freed him forcibly.

They claimed that the students then blocked traffic and indulged in heavy stone pelting. Police also fired tear-gas shells and resorted to a "minor" lathi charge on Saturday.

Today, there was heavy deployment of police outside the campus. The DCP (South) Sudhir Yadav said that about 60 university students have been arrested.

The university students have been charged with rioting, rescuing accused persons, assault on public servants and damaging public property.

According to the DCP, a couple of students were also found to be in possession of country-made weapons.

However, students had a very different tale to tell. They alleged that the police tried to whisk away two students of the university, mistaking them to be offenders.

They added that the police then began to rough up the students standing near-by and rudely demanded that they show their identity cards.

Shafa-ur-Rehman, a first year M.Com. student, said that when the students protested the policemen began thrashing them. He added that some students then responded by pelting stones, following which the police entered the hostels and attacked students at random.

He alleged that even those students engaged in serious preparations for their examinations were dragged out of their rooms and beaten up.

At Jamia's S R K Hostel today, the evidence of the previous evening's violence was visible. Glass pieces were strewn around, even as doors lay broken.

"The police also entered the mosque near the hostel and thrashed the students, who were praying inside, after dragging them out," he said. However, the police described the allegation as baseless. Students also stated that the residents of the White, Pink and Sartaj hostels were also attacked.

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13 April

Authorities added that a committee comprising several senior faculty members would be assisting in the completion of legal formalities.

On Monday, 94 other students, who had also been detained after the violence, were release by the police. University authorities hoped that 66 students still in custody would be released on bail on Tuesday, but their efforts weren't successful. Even today, authorities were hopeful that the students will be bailed out The 66 students have been charged with offences like rioting, releasing accused persons, damage to public property and assaulting public servants on duty. It is believed that the University will be requesting the police to drop charges even against them.

Violence had erupted in the university on Sunday night after the police arrived to arrest two persons who had allegedly caused grievous injury to a student in January. The police had alleged that around 50 students forcibly freed one of the accused, Mubarak Alam. Students had denied this, saying that the police had tried to arrest two university students mistaking them for offenders.

Soon, the police-student confrontation took a serious turn resulting in stone-throwing, tear-gas shelling and a lathi-charge. While the police alleged that the students indulged in heavy stone-throwing from the hostels, students said that the police raided the hostels, damaged property and attacked students at random. Several students were injured in the violent incidents.

Meanwhile, Jamia students said that scores of their fellow-students were still missing from the hostels. They felt that while some of them were in police custody, others might have fled the hostels due to fear. Students also said that many among those who are still in police custody were badly injured in Sunday's violent incidents. They also said that anxious parents were flocking the hostels to inquire about their missing wards.

Meanwhile, Jamia Registrar Anees-ur-Rehman stated that the university was receiving calls from some parents who had informed the University that their wards had reached home after fleeing the hostel.

He added that the university had put up the names of those, still in police custody so as to avoid confusion. A verification exercise is also being carried out in the hostels to assess the damage to property.

University Proctor R Ibrahim has also been replaced. When asked about the reason, Mr Rehman stated that the Proctor had not been keeping well of late and had even submitted his resignation much before these incidents. He added that Jamia's Security Officer Masood Alam was now functioning as the new proctor.

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14 April

Meanwhile, earlier in a communication addressed on Thursday to guardians of the Jamia students, university Vice-Chancellor Syed Shahid Mahdi had announced that its 66 students in police custody would be released today.

It may be recalled that the university authorities had been trying to get these 66 students released on bail. On Monday, 94 other students, who had been detained, were released. The V C has promised that the university authorities will see to it that the academic year of the students is not lost as a result of the incident. Mr Mahdi also promised that no such incident would be allowed to occur again. He assured the student that the examination schedule will be suitably adjusted.

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14 April

The enquiry will be conducted by Deputy Commissioner (South) Ashwani Kumar. The enquiry report is to be submitted within a month.

The order for a probe followed an assurance given by Union Home Minister L K Advani to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today in this regard.

According to a press statement issued by the Delhi government today, Mrs Dikshit, along with a delegation of MLAs, called on the Union Home Minister "to apprise him of the police brutality and barbaric behaviour against the students".

According to the press statement, Mr Advani also stated that appropriate action would be taken against those police officers found responsible for the incident. He also reportedly expressed concern at the police entering an educational institution.

The Home Minister also "promised the delegation that his Ministry would also consider the removal of charges framed against the students."

The delegation also complained to Mr Advani that the "police were harassing the students and accusing them of being anti-social and anti-national elements", and pointed out that "the students had been booked under Section 307 of the IPC (attempt to murder)."

The delegation, headed by the Chief Minister, comprised Delhi Transport Minister Pervez Hashmi, and MLAs Kiran Walia, Haroon Yusuf and Mateen Ahmed.

It may be recalled that the Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had visited the Jamia Millia Islamia campus on Wednesday and had assured the students that she would take up the issue with the Union Home Minister.

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15 April

A university official on Friday said that initially it had been decided to postpone examinations scheduled between April 10 and 16. Later, it was decided to extend this date to April 23. However, the official indicated that given the injuries sustained by the students, the date of resumption of examinations is likely to be further extended. A decision on this is likely to be taken by authorities tomorrow.

Meanwhile, notwithstanding the release of 64 of the 66 students of the Jamia Millia Islamia on Thursday, the university students are sitting on a hunger strike to press for their demands. The demands include "dropping of all charges framed by the police against the students and compensation to all injured victims".

Students are also demanding the "suspension of the policemen responsible for the incident." The students have also praised the role of the university teachers in supporting them during the crisis. They appreciated that several teachers had toiled hard in order to secure the release of the students.

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18 April

Making a special mention, Mr Amar Singh (Samajwadi Party) described the incidents leading to a brutal assault on students by a large number of policemen who had entered the campus ostensibly in search of some former students allegedly involved in wrong-doing.

He said that while he, along with some other Rajya Sabha members, had rushed there and sought to calm the situation, Ministers had not visited the campus even four days after the incidents. His efforts to contact the Lt-Governor Vijai Kapoor were rebuffed on unacceptable grounds.

Demanding the immediate release of the students who had been put behind bars, he said that there were those who were innocent and were on the point of moving on to professional colleges.

Describing Jamia Milia as a 'great national institution', Leader of the Opposition Dr Manmohan Singh said that excessive police force had been used on the students. Demanding that the arrested students should be released, he said that a thorough impartial probe should be conducted into the incidents. Police officers guilty of having used excessive force should be brought to book and Ministers should visit the campus to help restore normalcy.

While the opposition members clearly conveyed their obvious concerns over the April 9 incidents, certain expressions used by Mr S S Ahluwalia (BJP) and Mohammed Obaidulla Khan Azmi (JD-S) led to verbal confrontations and finally to shouts and counter-shouts, making the proceedings inaudible at times.

In an otherwise impassioned speech, Mr Azmi protested that the entire Muslim community was being painted as agents of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Mr Venkaiah Naidu (BJP) protested immediately, maintaining that nobody had called the Muslims ISI agents.

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19 April

The police also lobbed teargas shells and used water cannons to disperse the crowd of students who broke through two barricades. The police stated that teargas shells had to be lobbed as the students had resorted to stone-pelting. According to the police, the policemen were injured in the stone-pelting. However, a students' representative, who denied the charge, condemned the police for resorting to water cannons and teargas.

According to the police, cases have also been registered at the Parliament Street police station under sections 147, 148, 186 and 188 pertaining to rioting and assault on public servants.

The police, however, claimed that no student had been arrested or detained.

Meanwhile, in a related development, a bus driver today reportedly filed a case of kidnapping in the New Friends Colony police station against certain persons participating in the demonstration. The driver alleged that certain persons had forcibly taken charge of his bus and forced him to drive them to the demonstration venue.

Incidentally, students from DU, AMU, JNU, and Hamdard University had also participated in today's demonstration. The students raised slogans against the Delhi Police at the rally. They demanded "the dropping of all false charges against innocent students" who had been arrested after the violent incidents of April 9 at Jamia. They also demanded a time-bound judicial probe into the incident and compensation to the victims of the "police violence".

In a Press release, the Jamia Millia Islamia Students Co-ordination Committee said that several politicians such as Rashid Dalvi from the BSP, Saroj Dubey from the RJD and G M Banatwala from the Muslim League, had expressed their support to the cause of the students.

The students at today's rally also demanded that the annual exams in Jamia which were scheduled to resume from April 26, be postponed.

Meanwhile an investigation report prepared by the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) on the violent incidents of April 9, has held the Delhi Police responsible for it. It held that the physical tortures, emotional trauma and humiliation suffered by the students was immeasurable.

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20 April

Criticising the Government's attitude on the issue of alleged police excesses on students of the university, Congress deputy leader Madhavrao Scindia said it reflected a pattern of thinking and wanted a judicial inquiry to punish the guilty policemen. "Police went into a masjid and dragged out people to beat them."

He said all innocent students should be released forthwith and criticised the Government for failing to come out with a categorical assurance in this regard.

Home Minister L. K. Advani said all those students arrested by the police except those charged with indulging in violence or found in possession of unlicensed arms would be released. They had been asked to give a written undertaking for release.

Mr Scindia said asking the students to furnish written undertaking was adding insult to the injury and humiliating and those who had committed the crime had not been taken to task. "Who is going to sit in judgement about the students? The same people who committed the excess."

On the demand for a judicial inquiry into the alleged police excesses, Mr Advani said the Lt. Governor had already ordered a magisterial probe. The Government, he said, had no reservations for a judicial inquiry but it would be a time-taking process. On the other hand, the magisterial probe would be speedier, he said.

He said several delegations of the Jamia Millia, including those led by Delhi Chief Minister and Vice Chancellor, met him. He already conveyed to them that the Government would not oppose bail applications of the arrested "innocent" students.

Mr Advani said, "if the members wanted a judicial inquiry, he would advise the Lt Governor in this direction".

CPI(M) leader Somnath Chatterjee described the police action as "a diabolical act" on the campus. The Home Minister should not only make a statement, but make amends for the police action, he said.

BJP member Vijay Kumar Malhotra said police had committed excesses and wanted to know why the police entered the campus without seeking permission from the Vice Chancellor and demanded withdrawal of cases against the students.

Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav said the Home Minister should not leave the matter at the level of the Lt Governor but take steps to free the arrested students and clearly state what action had been taken against the guilty police personnel. "The guilty policemen should be arrested and sent to jail."

Trinamool Congress member Sudip Bandhopadhyay sought immediate release of the students from jail and a high level inquiry into the incident. Muslim League member G. M. Banatwala said false cases had been made against students.

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21 April - Letters

The Jamia administration too cannot be absolved of blame for it did not act quickly to save the lives of its students and the sanctity of the Jamia. The new Vice-Chancellor, Syed Mahdi, though a seasoned IAS officer, has failed to cope with the situation as have the Registrar and the Proctor of Jamia. I appeal to the the Home Minister and the Prime Minister to probe into the ulterior motive of the police that forced them to act so barbarically.
Badrul Islam Delhi

Jamia clashes
This has reference to the recent clashes on the Jamia campus thanks to the dinner diplomacy of Vice Chancellor S M Shahid Mehdi. The incident highlights the incompetence of the present VC who couldn’t stop the police which acted in such a brutal manner. No Police cannot enter the campus without the prior permission of the VC.

More than a week has passed but the Jamia Millia Islamia campus situation is not yet fully back to normal. On behalf of teachers and well wishers, I once again reiterate my appeal to the students to work for the restoration of the academic atmosphere and utilise their time in preparing for the exams resuming from April 26. As far as the demands and grievances are concerned, I have had discussions with the Home Minister, the Lt-Governor and the Chief Minister of Delhi. These discussions have produced some favourable results. The examinations should resume from the announced date; or they will have adverse consequences on students’ careers.
SYED SHAHID MAHDI
VC, Jamia Millia Islamia

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