Jamia Fact-Finding Report Reveals Shocking Discrimination Against Non-Muslims At University Campus

New Delhi: The Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University in Delhi is at the centre of a row over allegations of religious conversions after a fact-finding committee led by Justice (Retired) Shiv Narayan Dhingra, former judge, Delhi High Court made shocking revelations about harassment, discrimination against non-Muslims including students and faculty members at the campus.

A fact-finding committee led by Justice (retired) SN Dhingra, former Commissioner of Delhi SN Srivastava and other members, released its report on November 14, in which students and former faculty members revealed how they were being harassed, discriminated and forced to convert to Islam.

The fact-finding committee comprises of: 

1. Justice (Retired) Shiv Narayan Dhingra, former judge, Delhi High Court | Chairman
2. Rajeev Kumar Tiwari, Advocate, Delhi High Court | Secretary
3. Narendra Kumar (IAS), former Secretary Delhi Govt | Member
4. SN Srivastava, former Commissioner of Delhi Police | Member
5. Dr Nadeem Ahmad, Assistant Professor, Karori Mal College, Delhi | Member
6. Ms Purnima, Advocate, Delhi High Court | Member  

In its report, which was presented before the Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, the Education Ministry and Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, the committee found:

• Almost every witness deposed about the discrimination of non-muslims and bias against non-muslims in JMI whether a non-muslim was a student or a member of the teaching faculty.
• Witnesses alleged discrimination, biases against non-Muslims at the Jamia Millia Islamia Univeristy.
• The discrimination was there irrespective whether the person was a student or a member of the teaching faculty.
• A non-Muslim faculty of the JMI testified that he faced discrimination at the campus for being non-Muslim.
• Facilities given to Muslim faculty members including cabin, sitting place, furniture were not given to him for a long time since his joining.
• The report mentioned that a non-Muslim faculty member recalled about an incident when he was allotted a cabin for administration work after  being appointed as Assistant Controller of Examination. However, he was publicly harassed and commented on how a Deputy Registrar cabin be given to a ‘Kafir’.
• One another non-Muslim faculty member spoke about discrimination against non-Muslims students and teaching staff at the campus adding many left the university as they were unable to bear the harassment.
• The report said that many students and faculty members were also being forced to convert to Islam by those who had already converted.
• Another faculty member who completed M.Ed. from Jamia University recalled that one of the professors had announced she would not allow students to complete M.Ed. unless they converted to Islam. The Professor set herself and others as example among those who were already converted.