The Jamia hostel food protest entered its third day on Saturday as women students alleged that Jamia Millia Islamia had not implemented written assurances to remove the current mess vendor after insects were allegedly found in food at the J&K Girls’ Hostel. The university said it was fast-tracking the process and arranging meals from another vendor as an interim measure.
The protest began on Thursday night and continued until about 3am on Friday, according to the students. The protesters had demanded immediate cancellation of the existing mess contract, deployment of only women staff in the mess and protection from retaliatory action.
Students said the administration initially issued a written assurance that the vendor’s contract would be terminated with immediate effect and agreed to the other demands. They then called off the protest. However, the agitation resumed on Friday after students alleged that the contract had not been cancelled and that another person from the same team had been appointed as manager.
The university denied that it had failed to honour its assurances. Saima Saeed, the university’s chief public relations officer, said the appointment of a mess contractor in a government institution had to follow due process. “Issuing a tender for a mess contractor in a govt institution has a due process that needs to be followed. We have fast-tracked the process and, as an interim arrangement, are arranging food from another vendor for the students,” she told the Times of India.
Students also alleged that their names and roll numbers were recorded on Friday afternoon before meals were served, raising concerns about possible retaliatory action. Women students from other hostels joined the protest, while male students extended solidarity. The demonstration continued near the Centenary Gate, where students raised slogans about the quality of food provided against the fees collected.
On Friday night, protesting students stayed near the gate after defying the hostel curfew. They alleged that the lights at the protest site were switched off, following which they used phone flashlights and banged plates. The main hostel entrance was reportedly locked on Saturday, according to students who shared a video of the gate. They later entered through another gate and said they were not stopped.
The continuing protest has also raised concerns among students about their sessional examinations, which are scheduled to begin on Monday. The university’s stated interim arrangement is to source food from another vendor while it fast-tracks the process for appointing a mess contractor.
