‘Breaks my heart, not spirit,’ says activist Safoora Zargar after Jamia cancels her admission

Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) has cancelled the admission of scholar and activist Safoora Zargar, who came to limelight during protest against the controversial citizenship regime, due to “unsatisfactory” progress in her thesis work. Reacting to the “discriminatory’ move of the varsity, she said that the cancellation “breaks my heart but not my spirit”.

The 29-year-old Muslim activist was arrested by Delhi Police in 2020 on charges of her involvement into communal riots which triggered allegedly after BJP leader Kapil Sharma issued an open threat to protesters in presence of police.

Her arrest had drawn global criticism of the authorities here with a UN body saying that the arrest violated international treaties signed by India. The body, United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD), in March last year termed the arrest and Zargar a violation of the Universal declaration of human rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which India is a party.

In a notification dated August 26, office of the dean, Faculty of Social Science, said she did not submit her M.Phil dissertation within the maximum stipulated time of five semesters. “The registration of Safoora Zargar from M.Phil./Ph.D. (Sociology) stands cancelled w.e.f. 22 August, 2022, in anticipation of the approval of the same of the Faculty Committee,” the notification read.

According to PTI, the dean’s office mentioned that the action has been taken on the recommendation given by the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) on July 5. The matter was approved by the department’s Board of Studies, the highest decision-making body of the department, on August 22.

“On the recommendation of the RAC, dated July 5, the DRC (Department Research Committee) dated August 22, and the supervisor’s report, the Board of Studies approved the cancellation of admission of Safoora Zargar, M.Phil./Ph.D Scholar, registered under Prof. Kulwinder Kaur,” the notification further read.

The administration said that her supervisor reportedly marked her performance “unsatisfactory” in the progress report.

According to source, Zargar on Wednesday had written to JMI Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar that she was being subjected to undue harassment and ridicule at the hands of the administration.

“While UGC has granted five consecutive Covid extensions I have been given only one. I was forced to apply for an extension under the women scholar category, only to be denied after months citing ‘unsatisfactory progress’….This is in clear violation of the guidelines laid down by UGC (University Grants Commission) and points to the malafide intentions of the supervisor and the department. I will be taking all remedial action available to me,” the letter read.

-INDIA NEWS STREAM