Jamia violence: 400 students, studying in Harvard, Yale condemn it
The violence unleashed on the students of Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University by the cops has been called out by one and all. And, now nearly 400 Indian students studying in several universities of the United States have written a letter condemning it. Those who signed the letter study at universities like Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, MIT, and NYU.
Background: Cops assaulted students, worrisome scenes troubled almost everyone
On Sunday, the students of Jamia took out a march against the newly-implemented Citizenship Act. But after the protest got mired with the torching of buses and vandalism, cops resorted to excessive use of force. They barged into the campus, threw tear gas, and lathi-charged students, despite them saying that they weren't related to the violence. This shameful incident was condemned across the nation.
Not only India, students in US also spoke against cops
Courtesy how they acted with the students, Delhi and UP Police have now become (in)famous in the US too. In the letter, the alumni and students of these universities expressed solidarity towards students protesting against the Citizenship Act. They also termed the Act "discriminatory". To note, this Act will make it easier for persecuted non-Muslims from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan to settle in India.
Security forces violated Indian Constitution and Human Rights: Letter
"By every account, it appears that police and paramilitary, both at Jamia and at AMU, have used violence and pursued unlawful and reckless tactics against student protesters in violation of protections under the Constitution of India and International Human Rights law," the letter read.
They also pointed out that most victims were Muslims
Released through Jhalak M. Kakkar of Harvard Law School, the students noted that every norm of how police should function in a democratic society was negated in this episode. "Seen further in the light of the fact that most victims of this brutality were Muslim, these incidents stand out as shocking instantiations of targeted violence against a minority group," they went on.
They also mentioned death of protesters and curbs on internet
The students also had strong words against the death of five protesters in Assam, where agitation against the Citizenship Act was more defined than other states of Northeast. They added that since the internet is muzzled, it's impossible for protesters to voice their concerns or complain against police brutality. This has also made it impossible to know what's happening on the ground.
Resign or take concrete action: Students advised Amit Shah
Expressing displeasure at the fact that Chief Justice of India, SA Bobde, termed the protests "riots", they said he ignored the situation's enormity. Ending the letter with a list of demands, the students said security forces should be withdrawn from all campuses; they also asked for a probe. They said Home Minister Amit Shah should either take steps to curb police brutality or resign.
