By TCN News,
New Delhi: Concerned about democratic environment in the campuses since its inception, the Students’ Islamic Organisation (SIO) has demanded that in the interest of students’ community, student union election at the Jamia Millia Islamia must be resumed latest by upcoming academic year i.e. 2015-16.
The SIO said it believes in fostering democratic environment in campuses in order to bring the best out of the student community to serve the society and the nation. Holding placards with messages such as ‘We teach democracy in classrooms but we won’t practice democracy in the campus’; ‘Yes Democracy, No Dictatorship’ and ‘Celebrating Campus Democracy at DU, JNU, AMU, Struggling for Democracy in Jamia’, the students came out in large numbers to hold demonstrations in front of the Vice Chancellor’s gate at the Jamia campus on Wednesday.
“Democratic participation always has been a sign of healthy and prosperous society. As each of us aware of the fact that the Jamia Millia Islamia has not conducted students’ union election since 2006. It is a matter of grave concern for all of us,” a statement from the SIO said here.
The ban on student union election is neither serving nor advancing any democratic cause of either University or student community, it said, adding, “The continued ban on student union election by Jamia authorities is essentially continued and direct violation of fundamental rights viz. the Right to Freedom of Speech and expression and the Right to form associations or unions of student community.”
In pursuant to the Supreme Court of India order dated December 2, 2005, the then Ministry of HRD had constituted a Committee under the chairmanship of J M Lyngdoh to look into various aspects of the student union election. “This Committee had given its recommendations and the same has been approved by the Supreme Court vide its order dated September 22, 2006 and directed that those recommendations should thereafter be followed scrupulously by all Universities across the country,” the statement said.
“It is a matter of concern as Jamia Millia Islamia is not conducting election, despite strictures given by the Supreme Court. The Jamia Millia Islamia has not witnessed the election for last eight years. According to the Supreme Court order, coupled with Lyngdoh committee recommendations Jamia Millia Islamia must have witnessed election at least latest by 2011-12 academic year,” it pointed out.
“Therefore, SIO demands, in the interest of the University in general and student community in particular, that the student union election of Jamia Millia Islamia must be resumed latest by upcoming academic year i.e. 2015-16,” the release said.
The SIO also demanded from the HRD Ministry that it must direct the Jamia authorities to comply with the Supreme Court order at the earliest possible time so that the next academic year witnesses students’ election, it added.