“This is a question of constitutional rights. If no one from this institute can join student organisations, or express their personal or political views, it will become very problematic,” says Ramadas Prini Sivanadan, a Dalit student leader and PhD scholar from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Mumbai about his suspension.
On Thursday, April 18, TISS Mumbai issued an order, suspending PhD student Ramadas for two years for participating in a protest march in New Delhi as well as for appealing to the public to watch the documentary Ram Ke Naam on social media. Along with the suspension, the administration has also barred the scholar from entering any of the TISS campuses across the country.
Ramadas, a native of Wayanad, Kerala, and a Dalit PhD scholar in the Development Studies department of TISS Mumbai, expresses that the suspension would hinder his academic journey as a marginalised student.
“I feel that I am being targeted as I am someone who can be targeted. I am a PhD scholar and two years of suspension means I would have to drop out. Also, I am a recipient of the National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste Students which is going to be revoked,” he told EdexLive.
Ramadas’s suspension comes over a month after a show cause notice was issued to him on March 7, 2024, which stated that his activities are "not in the interest of nation".
“Being a Public Institution, TISS cannot permit or tolerate its students indulging in activities which are anti-national and bring bad name to the nation. Hence, such activities also fall into the category of serious criminal offence,” the show cause notice stated, which EdexLive has access to.
“Unlawful activities in name of freedom of expression”
The show cause notice issued to Ramadas on March 7 accused him of indulging in "anti-national" activities that are against the institute’s code of conduct.
The institute wrote that the student had misused the institute’s name by protesting outside the Indian Parliament in New Delhi on January 12 under the banner of the student organisation, Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF-TISS).
On January 12, a collective of various student unions in India, United Students of India, staged a demonstration in front of Indian Parliament, resisting various education policies implemented by the BJP. The students used slogan "SAVE EDUCATION, REJECT NEP SAVE INDIA, REJECT BJP!" during the protest.
“The said organisation is not recognised by TISS and has no connection with any activity of TISS, still, the word "TISS" is being misused, which wrongfully creates an impression that it has some association with TISS and its views are endorsed by TISS,” the notice said.
Reacting to this, the student leader said that he attended the protest in his personal capacity and did not claim to represent the institute in any way.
“It was a joint call by 16 student organisations against the ruling party and its education policies. Protesting or organising a protest gathering, in no way or form, is an unconstitutional act. I have participated in the programme in the capacity of being an executive committee member of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), as well as a member of PSF, and an individual. I am not representing the institute in any way or claiming to do so,” Ramadas expressed.
Along with this, the administration added that Ramadas had been involved in repetitive misconduct and "anti-national activities" like protests, inviting controversial guest lecturers and screening a banned BBC documentary on campus.
Further, the show cause notice states that Ramadas had posted on social media sites appealing to people to join the screening of the documentary Ram Ke Naam as a mark of “dishonour and protest against the Ram mandir inauguration in Ayodhya.”
“The film is currently available in the public domain. There is nothing wrong in calling people to watch it. I have been here for 12 years, I watched this documentary on the very same campus in an official screening permitted by the institute at that time. It is contradictory that an individual is made to face action for promoting the same film on its social media now,” the student leader further added.
It might be recalled that ahead of the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya in January 2024, TISS Mumbai released a notice warning the students against organising any public programme opposing the Ram temple consecration. This notice was criticised by the institute’s student groups.
Support pours in
A number of left-backed student groups from across the country have taken to social media, condemning the suspension order by TISS Mumbai.
Sharing a press statement on social media yesterday, April 19, PSF-TISS wrote, “The autocratic actions of the TISS administration are a direct attack on marginalised students who hope to pursue higher education in public-funded institutions. It is an attempt by the administration to cut down fellowships of students and to completely strip them of their right to pursue education at a premier social science institution.”
The association further wrote that there has been a trend of active support of the ruling BJP government at the cost of the future of students coming from marginalised backgrounds. NOT clear what this means
“I am glad to see that so many people, student unions are coming out and expressing their solidarity. I believe that I am being penalised for practising my Constitutional right. I have criticised BJP and its political agenda and personally, I do not feel that by doing so, I am doing anything against the interest of this institute and the nation. I am going to appeal to the institute to revoke my suspension,” Ramadas added.
ChintaBar, a student collective of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, also shared a statement on Instagram showing solidarity with Ramadas and demanding the TISS administration to revoke his suspension immediately.
"Ramdas, being a first generation student hailing from a marginalised community, has been proactive in defending the rights of students, and a vocal critic of communalism. Through this undemocratic and vengeful move, the TISS administration is trying to create an atmosphere of fear to suppress all kinds of political dissent," said ChintaBar.
