Masihuzzama Ansari | India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 18— As the students of Jamia Millia Islamia continued their protest against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act on fifth day today even after facing brutal lathi-charge and teargas shells on Sunday, people from different walks of life, both prominent and ordinary ones, are coming out to extend their support to the students.
Jamia students today got support from the Sikh community. Former student leader of JNU Kanhaiya Kumar and renowned civil rights activist Medha Patkar turned up at the protest site near the main gate of Jamia and denounced the police crackdown.
Talking to India Tomorrow, Jabar Jang Singh, a member of the Sikh community who had come from Punjab, said: “We were going to Puri where a gurudwara was demolished. But when we came to know about police brutality on students of Jamia Millia Islamia and saw the videos on social media, we came here to extend our support to them. Some student has been hit in the eye, some others’ hands and legs have been broken.”
Singh, who was accompanied with several people from the Sikh community, opposed the new law.
“The Citizenship Amendment Law is a black law as it violates the basic values of the Constitution. We have got freedom and Constitution after sacrifice of several people including Bhagat Singh and Ashfaqullah Khan. We are against the new citizenship law and we support those who are opposing this law,” said Singh.
The new law would give citizenship to only non-Muslim migrants – Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains – from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
On Dec. 15, the protest by students of Jamia Millia and local residents against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act had turned violent as several buses and two-wheelers were set afire. Following the incident, a large number of policemen and CRPF personnel resorted to lathi-charge and teargas to disperse the crowd. They barged into the hostels and library of the university and assaulted students. The police also detained around 50 students who were released in the wee hours of Monday. Many of them were injured and sent to hospitals for treatment.
Addressing the Jamia students Wednesday afternoon, Medha Patkar said: “I ask you students not be misguided by “Sab Ka Saath Sab Ka Vikas” slogan. They wanted to crush a particular ideology at JNU but people of the same ideology came back and won the election through non-violent public movement. They want to terrorise you but you are still sitting here and protesting. I cannot want anything more than that.”
Demanding action against the guilty policemen for beating students inside the campus, hostel and library, Patkar said: “I demand immediate action against the guilty policemen. They should prove charge against students. Prime Minister should apologize for the police action. Now he has started speaking on the issue, I hope he would offer apology also.”
