After AMU, Jamia students launch hunger strike over union elections
Students at Jamia Millia Islamia have launched an indefinite hunger strike to demand the reinstatement of student union elections, which have been suspended since 2006. The university administration maintains that they are open to the idea but have not received formal requests and prefer department-wise representation.
Why it matters
The protest reflects broader debates regarding student political representation and campus governance in Indian higher education.
Days after the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) administration reinstated union elections, two students of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) started an indefinite hunger strike demanding the conduct of elections, which have not taken place since 2006. Meanwhile, the JMI administration has said that they have never said no to elections but have not received any written representation regarding the same.
On Tuesday. Ebin Basil, one of the two students on hunger strike, said, “We started our hunger strike yesterday (Monday) night for the reinstatement of the student union elections, which have not been held since 2006.”
The union was suspended in 2006 over concerns of discipline and violence. The students have said that they will strike indefinitely until their demand is met.
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