‘Jackboots in Jamia’: Violence in university dominates front pages of newspapers

Violence raged at Jamia Millia University yesterday with the Delhi police cracking down on students protesting the Citizenship Amendment Bill. Dozens of students were reportedly injured and at least four buses were set on fire. The police used lathis and teargas to disperse the students while videos have emerged of students being severely beaten by police personnel.

The news dominated the front pages of major newspapers.

The top story’s headline in The Times of India was “After NE & Bengal, It’s Delhi Now”. The story led with the police version, saying: “Police said the protesters hurled stones at cops, houses and a hospital, smashing windows. At least a dozen cars and scores of bikes were damaged. The violence went on for an hour after which police retaliated with 50 rounds of teargas shells and lathi charge.” It noted that there were “conflicting versions” and that the university administration had said the “police entered the varsity by force and beat up staff members and students”.

The Hindu‘s lead story was “Violence hits Delhi over citizenship law”. The subhead said: “Police resort to teargas, lathicharge to block protesters near Jamia Millia Islamia; buses set on fire”.

Hindustan Times said the “police using tear gas on protesters gathered near Jamia Millia Islamia”. It continued: “The university said its students were not behind the violence, and that people from outside the campus were involved in the clashes with the police.”

Its city page called the university a “battleground” with multiple eye-witness accounts of the police beating up and abusing students.

The Indian Express said six buses were burnt and over 100 were injured in the violence on Sunday. The report said the police “lobbed teargas shells inside the campus, forced their way in, and allegedly dragged students out of the library and the mosque, and assaulted them”.

The city page of The Indian Express said a “community march” by students turned into a “riot-like situation”. A little after 6.15 pm, the report said, “a series of loud bangs, of teargas shells going off, rocked the area. The protesters retaliated by hurling stones at the police, triggering a crackdown which brought the university campus under its sweep. Some personnel were also seen hurling bricks and stones back inside the campus.”

The report added: “Around 6:20 pm, The Indian Express witnessed police personnel pull out at least five persons from the university and beat them with sticks.”

Express carried an editorial on the “external costs” of opposition to the Bill. “The biggest negative impact is on India’s relations with Bangladesh, which has, in recent years, become one of Delhi’s most productive partners. Beyond Bangladesh, India’s long-standing reputation as a constitutional democracy is taking a big hit and the loss of goodwill and admiration is not easy to estimate.”

The Telegraph said the police “went on the rampage…thrashing students on the campus and berating a woman BBC reporter near a gate, students and university officials said”. The lead story said: “It is being alleged that the police wanted to teach a lesson to the students…and entered the campus and the situation spun out of control”.

The New Indian Express led with the violence as well on its front page. “Videos purportedly from Jamia did the rounds on social media showing tear gas smoke, injured students and a video alleging firing by the police. However, the Delhi Police denied any firing or casualties.”