Full Breakdown
Jamia Millia Islamia Student Union Protest Ends with Agreement to Hold Elections
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Agreement to End Protest and Schedule Elections
After nearly two weeks of agitation that began on October 12, the Office of the Registrar issued an order on October 26, 2026 calling off the protest “with immediate effect.” The order revokes all suspension and show-cause notices, mandates that the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU) election be held within 15 days of approval of the union constitution, and creates a committee to investigate security personnel. Protesters also agreed to issue a public apology at a press conference.
Background & Context
The JMISU was dissolved in March 2006, and no elections have been held since 2005. Students maintain that an elected union is essential for representing campus concerns. The agitation featured an indefinite hunger strike by five students—Ebin Basil, Mohd Jasim Khan, Rehan Haider, Rehan Pawar and Faizan Ali Khan—and drew faculty, staff and political attention.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Oct 12 | Hunger strike launched; protest begins. |
| Oct 21 | CPI(M) MP John Brittas writes to Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi; Dean cancels Talimi Mela 2026. |
| Oct 22 | Staff march of ~1,500 members to protest site. |
| Oct 24 | Classes shifted online for safety. |
| Oct 26 | Registrar’s order ends protest, revokes disciplinary actions, sets election timeline. |
| Oct 29 – Nov 1 | Planned Talimi Mela cancelled. |
Data & Statistics
- Five students maintain the hunger strike.
- Approximately 1,500 staff marched on Oct 22.
- Protest lasted nearly two weeks as of Oct 26.
Official Statements & Responses
- Vice-Chancellor Mazhar Asif appealed to students for more than two hours before the protest was called off.
Criticism & Opposition
- The All India Students’ Association (AISA) called the administration’s actions “brutal.”
- Student representatives said the Oct 26 order is “ambiguous,” lacking a clear constitution-approval date and ignoring the demand for the Proctor’s resignation.
- Congress MP Imran Masood denied any “Free Kashmir” slogans on campus, labeling such claims “divisive.”
On-the-Ground Reports
- Student Ebin Basil said security guards removed the protest tent, moved hunger-strikers into the Faculty of Economics building and called an ambulance, while other students prevented detention.
- The university closed the Dr Zakir Husain Library and the Old Library and shifted all courses online as a precaution.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Slogan controversy: AISA and some media reported anti-national graffiti (“Free Kashmir,” “Free Sharjeel Imam”), whereas protesting students and Imran Masood asserted no such slogans were raised.
- Resolution adequacy: The university claims the order meets student demands; student groups argue the lack of a definitive constitution-approval date and the omission of the Proctor’s resignation leave core demands unmet.
What’s Next
The university has indicated that the JMISU election will occur within 15 days of the union constitution’s approval, though no specific date is set. The appointed committee will review security-staff conduct, and the university will monitor compliance with the public-apology requirement and the removal of alleged defamatory social-media posts. Further updates are expected from the registrar’s office.