Jamia Journal Independent Student-run News Website of Jamia Millia Islamia (a Central University)
Hamidur Rahman, a B.A. final year student in the department of political science, has decided to withdraw his legal petition against Jamia from the Delhi High Court.
In an interview with Jamia Journal, Rahman said that he had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court on Tuesday, Jan 24, 2012, demanding a directive from the court for the restoration of Students Union at Jamia.
He said, he had noticed over the past few years that the university was charging students a students union fee for many years now, and yet there was no students union at Jamia.
In addition, he said, he feels there should be a representative student body on campus because students cannot approach or share everything with the administration. It is not easy for all students to express their concern with the administration, he said. So there has to be a student leadership that can speak on their behalf.
Besides, he added, he had seen the restoration of students union at JNU, AMU and other universities recently, and he felt if he filed a petition asking for a students union, Jamia too could get its students union restored by the judiciary. And it is for all these reasons he filed a petition in court against Jamia, he stated.
However, after his meetings with Jamia authorities the following day, Rahman felt his actions were misguided and it was wrong of him to drag Jamia into court on an issue that did not require court intervention.
Rahman said, he was made to see the error of his ways by Jamia authorities and is now convinced there should not be a students union in this present “situation.”
He went on to say, there can be a students union in the coming years, but certainly not in the kind of “situation” we are going through right now. We recently got designated as a minority institution and the media will misuse and misrepresent my actions in the public domain. And this is something I do not want to happen, he said.
Moreover, he claimed, he doesn’t think the Jamia administration is against the idea of Jamia having a students union. He believes, the Vice Chancellor is in a better position to judge the viability of a students union right now. The VC, he added, is doing a great job at running the university, and whatever he decides on the issue, Rahman is sure, it will be praiseworthy.
He also wanted to be clear that he is not under any kind of duress to withdraw his petition by anyone. It’s just that he was misled by some people to file a complaint against Jamia in court, and now that he has a better understanding of the situation, he is withdrawing his case.
Although, he said, he has yet to formally withdraw his petition from court, he has informed the Jamia authorities on Friday, Jan. 27, that he will be withdrawing his case from court on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
Download and listen to Hamidur Rahman’s seven-minute interview with Jamia Journal: [Link: Interview with Hamidur Rahman (6.4 MB)]
[Disclosure: Hamidur Rahman is of the same department as the author of this report.]
Ha ha Hamid you changed your mind and speech like any thing….any way good decision and well done HOD and VC of our Jamia….they are the authority,no one else.
Some students of poor intelligence have been invariably trying to drag Jamia to controversy, for their vested interest. Now when they feel the heat,I would call the ‘wrath’of JMI administration, their mind is put back at their places. I would request all the students to study well, get Degrees and Leave. Do not abuse your, and our, Alma Matter.
great said John William….good a second your thought.