To allay fear of displacement among students caused in the wake of the Batla House encounter, Jamia Millia Islamia is all set to construct two new hostels for its students apart from providing temporary accommodation to students requiring immediate relief. The boys’ hostel will be able to accommodate 700 people, while the capacity of the girls’ hostel is to be 250. The construction of the two hostels, the cost of which is going to be Rs 15 crores, is set to begin shortly.

In addition, to provide accommodation to students who have been dislocated, the authorities have created a temporary dormitory. “The dormitory will accommodate around 60 odd male students, till the time the new hostels have been constructed,” said Mushirul Hasan, the Vice-Chancellor of the university.

The decision comes in the wake of several students being evicted from their rented accommodation in the neighbourhood. “Landlords now prefer leasing out to families instead of students. A couple of my acquaintances have had to return home as they were unable to get accommodation,” said Ahmad Shahrdooz, first year student of the Faculty of Law.

The university also organised a symposium on “Restoring confidence in the Jamia neighbourhood” today at the Ansari auditorium. Various speakers raised pertinent questions about the manner in which the blasts, the encounter, and the accused have been represented. They also reaffirmed their solidarity with Jamia’s decision to provide legal support to the accused, who are also students from the university.

Among the speakers, Justice Rajendra Sachar pointed out that the Delhi government was bound to provide legal advice to the accused, who had every right to be defended. “Why should a Muslim always have to be on the defensive?” he asked.

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