Day after violent crackdown, Jamia University wore desolate look

Shards of broken glass, unclaimed footwear and bags, and a pack of unfinished biscuits lay on the bloodstained floor of a library at the Jamia Millia Islamia University here a day after it was vandalised following a police crackdown at the varsity premises.

The campus wore a desolate look on Monday as wary students kept mostly to themselves, asking mediapersons to show their identity cards before they could recount the previous evening's startling violence.

There was anger and anguish among the few students present on campus as they narrated their experiences during Sunday's violence.

"They (police) vandalised university property, broke the glass doors of the Urdu and History departments despite them being closed on Sunday," recalled a student.

"At that time when the students could hear tear gas shells being thrown around and see police lathicharging students, they were all thinking that they would die today. The last they cared about was their belongings or their notes," said another student.

Along a campus road littered with stones, many students were huddled together while discussing Sunday's incident.

The university's canteen, alive with the chatter of students on a normal day, wore a deserted look as it remained shut because of the vandalism. The famous Jamia bakery was also closed.

Outside the Mohiubul Hasan House, motorcycle parts lay strewn around, with students alleging that police intentionally vandalised the two-wheelers parked there. They also alleged that the police entered the mosque and harassed those who were inside and even beat up the imam.

According to a varsity official, even though the mosque is inside the campus, the responsibility for its upkeep is with the locals of Jamia Nagar. However, he said that police had indeed entered the mosque.

A student blamed the Delhi Police for destruction of the University's property, saying that universities are like religious places and by entering their campus and then vandalising it, the police had "desecrated" a religious place which was an "unpardonable" act.