Left or right, all must be heard on campus

Now that the university has swiftly acted on the feedback, both decisions should be welcomed wholeheartedly

Sense seems to have finally prevailed in the hallowed corridors of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, the premier city university, as the administration rescinded its August 19 ban on the left-leaning Progressive Students Forum (PSF), labelling it “illegal” and “unauthorised”.

The move comes in the wake of mounting criticism and nationwide solidarity for the students. Besides revoking the ban, the administration has also tweaked its controversial Honour Code, which incoming Master’s students were required to mandatorily sign as part of the admission process.

The now-tweaked code granted management the authority to terminate a student’s enrolment for violations of “institutional policies, including engaging in political or anti-establishment discussions and participating in protests”.

This, too, came under widespread criticism, with many saying that it would curtail free speech and undermine the inclusive nature of the institute.

Now that the university has swiftly acted on the feedback, both decisions should be welcomed wholeheartedly.

Public universities are not merely places of learning. They are also a fertile ground where young minds are shaped. There will be differences. There will be debates. And there will be disagreements, especially between students and management. And TISS, as an institution, has always embodied this spirit.

Irrespective of what provoked these two ill-judged moves, the management has done right by addressing them. As they step together into a new academic year, the students, too, should put this behind them and continue working harmoniously with the university administration.

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