CAA protests: UAE expats condemn attack on Jamia students

Manglore Today News Network

Dubai, Dec 18, 2019:  A day after the Delhi Police clashed and resorted to lathi charge on students of Jamia Millia Islamia, a central university in New Delhi, who were holding a protest against the recently passed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), JMI alumni based in the UAE said they are shocked and appalled at the violence the authorities have shown in dealing with the students, adding that their heart goes out to all those injured in the incident.

Condemning the attack on the students, Dubai resident and JMI alumni Fahad Siddiqui said he was deeply saddened at the brutality with which unarmed students had to suffer at the hands of the police. " The scenes and videos splashed acrossed social media pained me as I saw my alma mater turn into a battlefield with the police forcefully entering the campus and beating innocent students who were sitting in the library and in their classes.

Sidduiqui, who completed his engineering from JMI, said he was proud to be a JMI alumni and said he has never felt so disheartened and betrayed after what happened at JMI campus on Sunday. " But I am happy to see the unity and resilience in the students of not only JMI but also entire country who are staging protests and standing in solidarity with their fellow counterparts in JMI. I have full faith in our youth and I feel they are sensible enough to protest against wrong and injustice in society."

The situation in JMI area and its vicinities remained tensed on Monday with heavy deployment of CPRF force as many students decided to leave for their homes as they felt quite ’unsafe’ even in the campus after the violence they witnessed on Sunday.

Another former JMI student Qurratulain Tayyaba Jafri, who has had a long association with both universities in the middle of CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) storm - AMU and JMI - said in a democracy, citizens have the right to peacefully protest.

"Both my parents and their extended families studied in Aligarh Muslim University. My father taught in Jamia Millia Islamia for 25 years. I did my Masters from Jamia Millia Islamia and have lived on the campus for almost 30 years. The right to speech, expression and peacefully protest is critical for the functioning of any democracy. It was this right which has been trampled on in the world’s biggest democracy. It’s heartbreaking to see the stifling of young voices that are protesting against the CAA which goes against the secular principles of our Indian constitution."

Jafri said the same institutions that are meant to uphold the law of land and protect its citizens are throwing tear gas shells, firing gun shots, lathicharging, dragging students out of libraries and hostels and halting the right to peaceful protest. " And all this is happening in the national capital of India, New Delhi."

She added: "As much as I am agitated at the current situation,  I am equally proud of girls in hijab taking charge and leading from the front. I am overwhelmed at the number of non-Muslim friends, universities and colleges from all over India who have joined the protest and are expressing their solidarity with Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University. I hope and pray the youth of our country will never lose sight of the ideals of our Constitution. Young India is restless and optimistic. I am hopeful. All is not lost."

With Pictures and videos of the police beating JMI students mercilessly going viral over social media, internet services were cut in Aligarh and Meerut to avoid spreading the news, Indian media reported.