Jamia Millia releases list of protesting students, several get suspension letters

A day after several students of Jamia Millia Islamia were detained and later released over their protest against show-cause notices sent to two PhD scholars, they alleged on Friday that their personal details had been made public by the varsity in a “clear violation of their privacy”.

According to the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the administration displayed crucial personal details — including addresses, phone numbers, and photographs — outside the university gate, making them accessible to the public.

“No suspension notice against the students can justify the violations of their privacy. There are young women in this list and students just out of their teenage. Nothing gives the Jamia administration the right to destroy the futures of these students,” the Left-affiliated organisation said in a statement.

The controversy began with a protest on Monday, during which students condemned what they described as the administration’s “crackdown on student activism”. In response, the university claimed the demonstrators had vandalised university property, including the central canteen, and had broken the gate of the security advisor’s office, forcing the administration to take action.

Some of the students allegedly involved in the protest have received suspension letters from the university.

“On February 10, you were identified as leading an unruly and rowdy group of individuals to vandalise and deface the university’s property,” read one such letter received by a student.

The letter further accused the recipient of participating in an unauthorised and unlawful protest the next day. “Furthermore, on February 11, you again participated in an unauthorised and unlawful protest within the JMI campus, disrupting the normal functioning of the university and creating ruckus inside the campus, thereby resulting in gross inconvenience to other students, teachers and employees of the university.”

It added, “This letter serves to inform you that you are suspended with immediate effect from Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) due to your involvement in acts of vandalism, unauthorised and unlawful protests, and defamation of the university, which constitute serious breaches of the university’s ordinances, along with ensuing rules and regulations till the outcome of the proceedings of the disciplinary committee.”

The students have expressed outrage over what they perceive as excessive disciplinary action. “We were simply standing up for our peers, yet the administration is treating us like criminals,” said a protesting student.