The agitation at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) demanding the restoration of Students’ Union elections continues on Thursday, with the protest entering its 11th day.
MA Urdu student Yasir Fahad remains on an indefinite hunger strike at Duck Point, while fellow students have shut down the iconic Maulana Azad Library to press their demands.
The movement, which began in mid-September, has witnessed torchlight processions, marches and clashes, highlighting the long-standing demand for elected student representation after nearly eight years without polls.
The last Aligarh Muslim University Students’ Union (AMUSU) elections were held during the 2018–19 academic year.
Since then, students have been without a democratically elected body to represent their concerns on issues ranging from hostel facilities and academic matters to campus governance.
Protesters argue that the absence of a union has left them without an institutional platform for dialogue with the administration.
Their core demands are:
- Immediate appointment of a Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and immediate release of the official AMU Students’ Union election schedule.
- Immediate resignation of the Chief Proctor and dismissal of the current Proctorial team over its handling of campus affairs.
- Immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all recent student suspensions within 24 hours.
- Administrative intervention for the withdrawal and quashing of what the students describe as false FIRs and fabricated police cases registered against students.
Yasir Fahad, a second-year MA Urdu student, launched his indefinite hunger strike on September 21 at Duck Point after the administration allegedly failed to respond to a memorandum submitted by students seeking the revival of the union.
He has vowed to continue the strike until a concrete date for the elections is announced, stating that he will either secure an election schedule or leave the protest site only in death.
Supporters, including students from various faculties, have joined him at the site. Sahir Iqbal from the Faculty of International Studies and Yasir Fahad himself have spoken to Millat Times about the demands, emphasising the need for transparent timelines and administrative accountability.
On the 10th day of the protest, students organised a torchlight procession late on Wednesday night.
Carrying flaming torches, they marched through the campus and converged at Duck Point, raising slogans calling for the declaration of election dates.
The atmosphere remains charged as the hunger strike continues.
Tensions escalate further on the 11th day as students force the closure of the Maulana Azad Library, one of the university’s most important academic resources.
Protesters gather outside the library, demanding that the administration take decisive action on their long-pending demands.
Student Mohammad Bilal says the shutdown is not intended to disrupt studies but to draw urgent attention to the movement.
Yasir Fahad’s health has reportedly deteriorated during the prolonged fast, with earlier reports noting significant weight loss.
The protest has not been without controversy and violence. In the early phase, Yasir alleged that the university’s Proctorial Team attempted to forcibly remove him from the protest site, claiming that he was manhandled and subjected to physical abuse.
The administration, however, suspended him “with immediate effect pending a detailed inquiry,” linking the action to his alleged involvement in an earlier protest by women students at Abdullah Hall over food quality and hygiene on September 14.
Yasir has maintained that the suspension was retaliatory and timed to suppress the union restoration campaign.
Yasir Fahad told Millat Times that a group of individuals arrived at the dharna site and issued threats.
He specifically named Faisal Tyagi, Farhan Juberi and others, alleging that they warned him that he would be killed if he did not end the hunger strike and leave.
The group allegedly tried to lift him and forcibly remove him from the site.
Yasir stated that fellow protesters intervened and saved him. He subsequently filed a complaint at Civil Lines police station, accusing the named individuals and unidentified others of issuing death threats, pressuring him to abandon the protest and attempting to abduct him.
Aligarh Police confirmed that action was initiated on the basis of the complaint.
Police have registered FIRs from multiple sides, including complaints related to alleged provocation through WhatsApp groups and road blockades.
The university administration has faced criticism over the security situation on campus amid these developments.
Despite occasional talks, a deadlock persists between the students and the AMU administration.
Protesters insist that only a clear announcement of election dates and the lifting of Yasir’s suspension will end the agitation.
The movement has drawn support from students across faculties, including law students who have marched in solidarity and women students from Abdullah College who have joined the dharna.
Former student leaders have also voiced support, describing the Students’ Union as essential for representation, leadership development and institutional democracy.
As the hunger strike continues, protests intensify with actions such as the library closure, while the standoff between the students and the administration continues.
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