The police assault on Jamia Millia Islamia University Campus is unwarranted as it has itself said that students were not involved in the violent protests. The students have a right to protest and peaceful protest are part of our democratic right. Rather than addressing the issue, the ruling party is deliberately trying to create tense situation in the institutions like Jamia Millia as well as Aligarh Muslim University so that police get an opportunity to enter there and suppress the peaceful democratic protest violently.

The tragedy
is that our police are not well trained to handle with peaceful protests and
they only know to beat up innocent mercilessly. The real villain in the entire
game are the politicians who are playing with fire and creating unrest to
enable them vilify the Muslims who are duly agitated as their concerns are not
addressed.

Are we
becoming police or a militarised state?

How can the
police enter into a University campus without the permission of the administration?
Are we becoming police or a militarised state? Is this the way to handle a
genuine protest which has disturbed the peace of mind of India’s 20 crore
population. Does the government think that keeping the 20-crore people on toes
will help them politically?

This is
disgraceful to say the least. Even if the politicians play with their petty
politics, the police and bureaucracy need to follow the constitution of India
and need to be committed to that. It must handle the situation with care and
not treat students as criminals.

We know
there are manuwadi media reporting from the ‘battle ground’ and which has
already decided that the students are ‘criminals’ and police is the saviour.

The video
and pictures of student being forced out of campus with a position of
‘surrender’ is most inhuman and barbaric. Like what happened many years ago
when the criminals of the Uttar Pradesh police fired on the innocent people of
Maliana and Hashim Pura, in Meerut, this picture send shivers in your spine.
This is not a way to treat to the young students, who are the future of India.
You can’t make the university campuses a militarised zone.

We must
condemn all forms of violence.

All students
and their associations must understand that there are forces within and outside
who are ready to defame them. It is therefore important for them to remain
vigilant when in the protest. Keep the vigil and do not allow fire brand
speeches which raises blood pressure of people.

These are
issues which need to be seriously thought and one thing is clear that no Indian
should be worried about his citizenship. The amended act does not snatch
anybody’s citizenship but is a cover to help the illegal infiltrators or
refugees who are non-Muslims. But the bill cannot take away the citizenship of
our Muslim community. Yes, a national NRC is bound to harass them and is a
deliberate attempt to keep them on toes. We hope most of the state will not
allow the NRC to be done in their states.

We hope that
the Supreme Court will look into these matters.

Political
parties must protest and so are agitated citizens but at the same point of
time, we also need to be clear about it. We must not allow rumours to over our
heads.

As Indian citizens, we stand together in our fight for justice and against all forms of discrimination, oppression and injustice.

The Delhi government must order an inquiry into the Jamia incident of violence and all students who have been injured must be provided medical support and campus must be brought back to normalcy.

Jamia and AMU have a great history and we need to respect their sentiments. Any attempt to criminalise the students and their leaders must be condemned. The rightful concern and grievances of the Muslim community and its youth must be heard with care. When our political parties fail, the people rise in protest and it is spontaneous. It is time for the government and the party in power to think of its action which are disturbing peace all over the country. It is time for the government to assure the people of its intent. Will it do or will it allow the situation to escalate to reap the political benefit of a polarised polity?

Vidya
Bhushan Rawat

December 15th, 2019

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Breaking : Delhi turns into war zone, students-police stand-off