Accusations of conversions against non-Muslim students at India's Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) university have sparked intense controversy. However, students and teachers of this university have alleged that Hindutva organizations are planning to tarnish the image of the university.
On Monday, the Indian media The Print reported, on November 15, Delhi-based NGO 'Call for Justice' published a report. The report accused Jamia of discrimination against non-Muslims and conversion.
The report documented 27 incidents based on interviews with around 60 people. These incidents included depriving non-Muslim students of hostels, delaying scholarships and pressuring them to convert.
In the report, a female master's student alleged that she was pressured to wear the hijab at the university. His religion has also been ridiculed. “I was forced to remove my religious symbol,” he said.
He also alleged that he has been threatened to leak his number and threatened with acid attacks.
Regarding the report, Muhammad Alfaz Azmi, PhD student of Jamia, said, 'It is the result of the intervention of Hindutva organizations. Through this they are trying to undermine the reputation of the university.'
Other Muslim students of the university have claimed that people close to the Sangh Parivar are being appointed in the administration. Due to this, the activities of ABVP and Hindutva organization Yuba increased in the campus.
Jamia student Waqar Ahmed said, 'Muslim students are being targeted again and again. It is part of a larger communal conspiracy.'
Meanwhile, the Jamia University administration rejected the allegations. They claimed that the university is always maintaining an inclusive environment. Under Vice-Chancellor Professor Mazhar Asif, new initiatives have been taken to eliminate discrimination.
Meanwhile, a professor who converted to Islam in 2019 said, 'Conversion is a personal decision. No ideal can be imposed by force.' He alleged that these controversies are destroying the unity of the university.
The controversy surrounding Jamia Millia Islamia raises religious questions on the one hand and political questions on the other. Complaints by students and teachers and the administration's response have compounded this tense situation.
