NSUI president Vinod Jakhar slams Jamia administration as ongoing hunger strike hits 17 days

The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) on Wednesday alleged that two of its members were detained by the Delhi Police from Gate No. 4 of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI).

This comes as the Congress-backed student outfit continues its protests for the restoration of student union elections, which have entered their 17th day.

Amid the protests, THE WEEK spoke to NSUI president and Dalit activist Vinod Jakhar, who explains how the JMI hunger strikes began, what is at stake, and how they will shape up in the days to come:

Q/ How did the hunger strike begin in Jamia Millia and what are the students demanding?

Two people from the NSUI were the ones who started the hunger strike. Student union elections are the right of students, and the government is trying to produce lies to suppress it and use different agendas as a toolkit to suppress it.

Today is the 17th day of the hunger strike. The administration of the Jamia Millia is compromised and is backed by the BJP, and is therefore not cooperating with the protesting students.

ABVP members have tried to write 'Free Kashmir' on walls to undermine the protest. They tried to spread the propaganda so that the government can portray the protest as anti-national, but they couldn't. Our agenda is clear: student union elections should be resumed so that students can make their own decisions.

Q/ What has been the Congress and NSUI's role in the protest?

I am in daily contact with the students and keep visiting the protest site. Congress has been there, and NSUI has always supported them. We do not want to turn this into an NSUI movement. We want it to remain a Jamia students' movement, and we are backing them. The social media coordinators, Zeeshan and Faizan, who were associated with NSUI, both have been detained.

Q/ How are you mobilising students from across the country for the November 1 rally?

NSUI members from across the country are coming forward. We have sensitised students in colleges and universities about the issue. If the BJP government and vote theft continues, colleges and universities will not be reformed, meritorious professors will not be there, and the entire education system will collapse.

We are also seeing that students' scholarships are not being released on time. Students are largely convinced that democracy is important and they need to save the country.

Q/ How many students do you expect at the November 1 rally, and how is the NSUI preparing for it?

At least 10,000 students from across the country will come for the November 1 rally. We have made preparations right from the grassroots and are well connected with students.

Q/ What kind of support are you receiving from the Congress leadership?

The senior Congress leadership, the media and social media wing of the Congress, and the decision makers of the party are connected with us and we too have complete connectivity with them. They speak to us about student issues and tell us about the way forward. Rahul Gandhi speaks to me directly when there were issues that need to be addressed.

Q/ NSUI is a student organisation affiliated with the Congress. How do you balance student issues with the larger political agenda?

We are a political organisation and a student wing. We contest elections and also take up national issues. Our engagement with students is not limited to movements or revolutions.

We raise issues such as paper leaks on the ground and across the country. Our work is not limited to Delhi.