Tensions have reached a boiling point at Jamia Millia Islamia university in New Delhi, where a student-led hunger strike has entered its third week. Ebin Basil, a 23-year-old law student, has been fasting indefinitely to demand the reinstatement of the university's student union, which has reportedly remained suspended for the past twenty years amid institutional resistance.

The situation escalated sharply after the administration moved classes online, barricaded the main campus gates, and pressured residential students to vacate their halls. Armed police and paramilitary forces have been heavily deployed around the perimeter, accompanied by a strict ban on public gatherings of more than four individuals within the campus grounds.

Protesting students allege that the university authorities are systematically attempting to suppress independent student voices under outside political pressure. Activists have reported severe crackdowns, including the restriction of basic supplies, water, and sanitary necessities for those remaining inside the barricaded campus, while the health of the primary hunger strikers continues to deteriorate rapidly.

While university officials claim they are actively working to resolve the standoff by proposing a timeline for future elections under a revised constitution, the student body remains deeply skeptical. Protesters argue that the proposed mechanisms are deliberately vague and slow, leaving them with no alternative but to persist with their demonstrations despite the heavy-handed official response.

Source: www.aljazeera.com