GENERAL BODY CONDEMS THE ACT OF TISS ADMINISTRATION SELCETIVELY TARGETING AND INDIMIDATING STUDENTS BY SENDING MEMOS AND LEGAL NOTICES
We the General Body of TISS strongly condemn the act of TISS administration of trying to intimidate students by selectively targeting them by sending memos and legal notices. The administration is using these tactics to deter the students who have been protesting since the last 35 days, to raise concerns regarding the GOI PMS issue. This action of TISS administration, is gravely undemocratic, goes against the constitutional sanction of protest.
The institute today on 27th March,2018, has sent out memos to around 15 students stating that the students have taken “law in their hand”, and strict actions will be taken unless the protest is called off. We refute such allegations made against the students. Further today around 4.30 PM also issued a legal notice to 6 students, summoning them to Bombay City Civil Court of Mumbai at 3 Pm on 28th March,2018. This was made vide Suit No.(L) 4506 of 2018 b.
The following students have been issued notices.
Fahad Ahmed, General Secretary of Students Union
Shefali Saini – Mphil Student
Ajmal Khan – PhD Student
Yashwant Zagade – PhD Student
Joy Lakra – PhD Student
Imran Gandhi – MA Student
The legal notices which have been sent to students are based on exaggerated narratives of select few residents staying on campus. Further supporting documents of the notice include select few newspaper article talking in favour of the institute. Furthermore in the notice, the Registrar has made false allegations of students mishandling of files. We refute such claims made by the Registrar and the residents. Only intent of protesting at admiration block was to seek a dialogue with the TISS administration, after
We would like to clarify that this protest was undertaken on 21st February,2018, to raise concerns regarding the GOI PMS issue. The institute needs to understand that, this protest is not to gain any political mileage or to create nuisance. This protest has been undertaken to rightfully fight for the rights of SC, ST and OBC NC students, which we feel that the institute has clearly evaded, by taking certain measures, which clearly dilute the very idea of affirmative action.
Charging GOI PMS students, unbearable amount of fees, which in affect will put already vulnerable sections of students in huge economic crises, is what the institute feels is just action, then we would like to state that this itself shows that the institute is no more interested in the larger idea of making education accessible to the marginalised and contradicts its own vision of social justice.
By such actions it is clear that, the nature of operation of TISS administration is clearly autocratic, authoritative and intolerant. Issuing memos and legal notices by the TISS administration, is a clear ploy to implicate students, many of which belong SC/ST/OBC NC, into legal mess there by trying to destroy their academic careers and personal life.
Furthermore, the General Body had removed the admin blockade after assurance given by the Acting Director Shalini Bharat that there will be a dialogue regarding the charter of demand tomorrow (28th March, 2018). However, immediately legal notices were served to students. It is indeed surprising that while, the TISS administration were assuring dialogue with the students, legal notices were been drafted to implicate the very students. This has garnered a huge trust deficit between the administration and the students. Time and again, the institute has tried to delegitimize the student’s protest, by creating false narratives.
The TISS administration needs to wake up to its autocratic nature, and accept that they have evaded the very ethos of affirmative action. We urge the TISS administration to work towards a solution to resolve the GOI PMS issue, instead of selectively targeting students.
Attached –
Memos issued to students
Legal notice
General Body 2018