By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Gandhi seems an inspiration to these students of Mass Communication Research Center (MCRC), Jamia Millia Islamia, who have been detained by the university because their attendance percentage was below than the mandatory 75%. Around 17 students of MCRC, have organized a hunger strike on the gates of the university on Saturday, protesting against the denial of medical relaxation to them alleging discriminatory treatment by the university as well as MCRC. Today being Sunday, the hunger strike has entered its second day.
There was some problem with the Jamia Nagar police threatening these students to book them under various stringent sections but the students had a heated discussion with the police, after which the police didn’t take some actions. But reports are just coming in about a lathi charge on the students and one of the students getting admitted in the nearby Holy Family hospital. There are also reports that few of the protesting students have been taken to the Jamia Nagar police station. Details are awaited.
One of the allegations of these students whose attendance percentages are some where between 65 to 73 % that they have been denied medical relaxation of 15% attendance which stands opposite to the rules of the university itself, some thing which, they allege, even the Delhi High court pointed out while hearing one such case.
They claim to have “very much genuine” medical documents to support their claim for the medical relaxation which would have added 15% attendance and thereby fulfilled the mandatory attendance requirement. But the university authorities rejected the medical documents as “forged.”
What “is very discriminatory” here as alleged by Nabila Ali, one of the protesting students, that while “the university holds very strict rules for us, it bends the same rules for few others who are considered close to the faculty members and the directors of the centers.”
Jamia students on a hunger strike protesting against the denial of medical relaxation of 15% attendance
Another argument being given by these students is that around 500 students have been barred from sitting into exam this time, have attendance percentage as low as 8 to 15%. Their case is different, they argue as they have attended more than 60% of the classes- some thing which shows their seriousness.
Even going to Delhi High court didn’t help these students because while hearing another such case from Jamia, debated upon the merits of the documents presented by the student concerned and termed the denial of medical relaxation by the university very much within its rights. When these students approached the HC requesting it to look at their individual cases, it was convinced by the merits of their case, as Saba one of the detained students alleged, but asked them to approach the Supreme Court as it can’t give another order opposing its own verdict.
Now these students, who are being joined by their other classmates in the hunger strike, “don’t have any other option except to sit on the hunger strike and approach higher courts.”
Jamia Nagar police asking students to vacate the place, terming their protest as “illegal”
The university authorities on the other hand maintained the same stand saying that the medical documents of these students are forged and illegal. Simi Malhotra, media co-coordinator of the university asserted the same stand.
But Smriti, one of the students debarred from sitting in the exam threaten to drag the university into court over the issue of the legality and genuineness of their medical certificates, “our doctors in our home town in Kolkata Allahabad and other cities, have told us that they want to file a case against this blatant illegal move which has regarded their certificates as forged and fake.”
“It’s utter carelessness and highhandedness of Obaid Siddiqui, the director of MCRC and the VC Najeeb Jung, guiding these developments. After spending lakhs on our course fees, now we have been forced to spend several lakhs on the fees of lawyers,” adds Saba.