Jamia Millia Islamia Students End Hunger Strike After Administration Agrees to Revive Student Union

New Delhi, October 29 (Daily Kiran) : The administration of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) has set a deadline of May 15, 2027, for the preparation, approval, and implementation of a new student union constitution. This decision led to an agreement between student representatives and the university, prompting students who had been on a hunger strike for 18 days to end their protest.Students welcomed the administration's decision and celebrated on campus. The hunger strike was initiated by student leaders Abin Basil and Rehan Ghani, who demanded the revival of the student union. After 18 days of fasting, the administration issued an official notice acknowledging their demands and outlining steps to address them. One student stated that the decision to end the hunger strike was made following the administration's acceptance of their requests.They expressed gratitude to the registrar, university staff, and administration for their support. Another student mentioned that Haris Beeran, a Rajya Sabha MP from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), facilitated discussions. He first met with the Vice-Chancellor and then engaged with the student representatives. Following these meetings, he returned to the Vice-Chancellor's office, where the official announcement of the agreement was made. The hunger strike concluded after a press release and official notification were issued, with the registrar and Beeran providing coconut water to the fasting students.Registrar Mahtab Alam explained that the students had submitted three written demands, the primary one being the completion of a draft constitution for the student union by May 15, 2027. They also requested that elections be conducted based on the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee once the constitution is finalized. The administration agreed to the timeline for drafting the constitution and clarified that the committee responsible for it would include not only professors and legal experts but also student representatives from each faculty.Alam emphasized that this arrangement aims to ensure student participation in the constitution drafting process and to give their views appropriate consideration. The administration's acceptance of the student representatives' demands marks a significant step forward. In addition to addressing the student union's revival, the university administration also announced plans to resume offline classes. Alam noted that online classes had been initiated but that efforts would be made to start in-person classes after the Diwali holidays.Students who have returned home were requested to come back by the designated date, with a goal to begin offline classes immediately upon their return.