Mumbai: 600 alumni throw weight behind TISS student

Old students express dismay over the suspension of PhD student and the institute’s restrictions on campus protests

TISS must remain a space where students have the freedom to engage in social justice movements and advocate for social change without the fear of punishment,” asserts a statement issued by alumni from across the globe. They’re upset about TISS suspending PhD student Ramadas Prini Sivanandan and banning protests on campus. They think this goes against TISS’s values of democracy and free speech. 

Ramadas Prini Sivanandan, also known as Ramadas KS, and the general secretary of the Progressive Students Forum (PSF), got suspended from all TISS campuses for two years. This happened because he did things like showing the banned documentary 'Ram Ke Naam' on campus, arranging events that caused arguments, and joining protests. The TISS administration put out a notice on April 18 explaining why they suspended him. They said he broke the rules by organising a lecture with speakers who caused trouble and protesting outside the director’s house at midnight with loud chants. They also said he used social media to promote the banned documentary.

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Denoar,,Chembur, is a multi-campus public university. It is Asia’s oldest institute for professional social work education and was founded in 1936. Pic/Ashish Raje

The alumni are worried about the punishment given to Ramadas. They say TISS has always encouraged students to think critically about social justice and inclusivity. 623 alumni signed a statement asking the TISS administration to cancel Ramadas's two-year suspension. They think the suspension goes against democratic values and the institute's principles. The alumni believe that TISS should be a place where students can freely talk about social issues and not be punished for it.

The statement emphasises that TISS should be a place where students can freely speak out for social justice without being punished. They believe that suspending Ramadas, who is a Dalit and the first in his family to study at TISS, goes against the institute's values of fairness and inclusivity. The statement is supported by alumni from different backgrounds, including faculty members and PhD scholars from respected universities.

Ranjini Basu, an alumna, said, "As a former student, I find it rather shocking that the Institute, which championed the cause of freedom of speech and provided a space for students to engage in social justice movements and advocate for social change without fear of punishment, has made such a decision to curb students' freedom of speech.”

Lakshmi Lingam, former Deputy Director of TISS Hyderabad Campus and former Dean of the School of Media and Cultural Studies (SMCS), TISS Mumbai, writes on LinkedIn: "This public notice is appalling. It is not a public notice to announce to the world that a student is suspended for so-called 'anti-national' activities. Should one consider through this announcement that the current administration, a non-existent Chancellor, a governing board, and top officials of TISS have declared that TISS is now openly towing a political line? It is not about education anymore; it is a call for complete submission and subordination of all its key stakeholders to an understanding of what education is and what discipline is. The meaning of education and social sciences education is under threat through such a notice."

Another alumnus, responding on LinkedIn, said, "I'm shocked by your public notice, TISS. I remember studying social movements and protests for my Masters here. Now, a student is suspended for doing what we learned? Is it fair to punish him just because he didn't take the same class as me? Will you silence all students who don't follow your rules? Is your reputation so fragile that one student's actions overshadow all the good done by others?"

After Ramadas's suspension, the institute issued a new circular on Wednesday, tightening rules on "political issues." It now bans faculty and students from organising or joining any demonstrations, protests, or processions near any TISS campus gates.

Additionally, these rules apply online, forbidding students and faculty from starting or participating in online petitions, marches, flash mobs, or even watching, sharing, or hosting events, seminars, or meetings related to political matters.

An alumnus from the institute's 2011 batch said: "The circular about Model code of conduct is appalling. As a student who has been associated with the TISS campus for a decade, I feel I never witnessed such circulars being issued with respect to elections and the model of code of conduct. I have not seen such a circular being issued in any institute. How is a model code of conduct relevant to an educational institute, unless some candidate or political party is using the campus or students for the campaign?" 

April 18
Day notice was noticed

623
No. of students who signed the petition

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