How Jamia Millia violence was the lynchpin for protests from students in non-political campuses

After the news of the police crackdown at Jamia Millia University spread across the country on Sunday night, numerous universities and colleges across the country pleged their solidarity to the central university in the capital. Some of the institutes are new additions as they were not seen protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act after it was passed in the Rajya Sabha last week.

Showing solidarity to injured students in New Delhi, students from Mohammad Sathak College, IIT Madras, Loyola College and The New College among others held sit in protests at their respective colleges. For the last two days, parts of South Delhi resembled a war zone with Delhi police opening lathi-charge, tear-gassing students to disperse them. 'Muslim lives matter', 'We condemn CAB, NRC', 'Stop police brutality', were some of the messages displayed on placards by students.  

The Institute of Science, Bengaluru (IISc) students also joined in solidarity to protest on Monday against the police brutality and gunfire on the students of Jamia. IISc newly became a part of the protests by numerous institutes of the country. Over 172 students, staff and faculty members at IIM Bangalore have written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, protesting against the repression of students who have been demonstrating against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The open letter asks Modi to "not trample the democratic rights of citizens to peacefully protest an unjust law."

Protest erupted on the campus of Moulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), in Hyderabad on Sunday night, against the police 'brutality' on students of Jamia and the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). Dozens of students of the country's only Urdu university gathered on the campus around midnight and raised slogans against the police action on Jamia and AMU campuses. They expressed solidarity with the students of the two universities and demanded action against the policemen who entered the campuses and resorted to baton-charge on students. With the flash protest by students, the university authorities and the police geared up to prevent any untoward incident. The students also boycotted the semester examinations, scheduled to begin on Monday morning.

Many students at Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) staged marches late on Sunday and again on Monday to express solidarity with their counterparts at Delhi's Jamia and AMU. The students, including many girls, carried torches, banners and posters saying "In Solidarity With Jamia" and silently marched around their campuses peacefully. Some IIT-B students posted on social media that they undertook the silent protest despite being refused permission by the IIT-B authorities. TISS students, including many women, who also staged a candle-light march late on Sunday, said they planned to boycott their lectures on Monday to condemn that brutal violence against the students.

Students from Pondicherry University protesting against #CAA and standing in solidarity with students of #JamiaMilia and #AMU. #Pondicherry #CAAAgainstConstitution #JamiaProtest #StudentsSolidarityMarch pic.twitter.com/4mHxUrQKPU

— Shilpa Nair (@NairShilpa1308) December 16, 2019

Students of Banaras Hindu University organized a solidarity march with students of Jamia, AMU. At Kolkata’s Jadavpur University, around 50 students held a demonstration against the same. More than 2,000 kilometres away in Puducherry, the students of Pondicherry University also protested the Delhi police violence in Jamia. In Lucknow, students of the Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama marched through the city. Students at Delhi University and Jawaharlal University had already been protesting against the CAA and NRC.