Police personnel entered TISS campus on the 34th day of student’s strike, when the TISS administration allegedly made a false complaint of property damage against the students. Students allege that the registrar, C.P. Mohan Kumar made a false complaint to the police accusing students of vandalizing his office, including breaking the CCTV and other fixtures. The police entered the campus at around 11.30 am for a ‘routine investigation.’ Oddly enough, the burden of proof fell on the students who were compelled to assure the police that they did not engage in any destructive activity and that their protest has been completely peaceful.
Students said, “This is perceived as an act of extreme moral deficit of the TISS administration. Instead of a direct and constructive engagement with the students for addressing their legitimate demands they have resorted to false narratives and intimidation tactics through the interference of police force.”
On March 23, 2018 the students started a protest rally at 2 pm. The students undertook the rally to highlight that even after 31 days of protests, there was no concrete dialogues undertaken with the students regarding the demand charter. The students demanded the resignation of the Registrar, the Dean SPO, the Dean Students Affairs and the Section Officer after it became clear that they hid important information from students regarding the OBC NC GOI PMS Maharashtra scholarship. Students reached registrar’s office and waited to meet him. But, even after six hours there was no word from him. At around 9.30 pm, Dr. Parashuraman, TISS ex-director who doesn’t hold any office position anymore, came to dissuade students from protesting and even managed to humiliate the students present there.
Meanwhile, some faculty members entered the registrar’s office from the back door and took away some files. Students were later accused of stealing these. Following this, students demanded an immediate meeting with acting director Shalini Bharat and other faculties Prof. Vijat Raghavan, Prof. Shahajahan and the registrar CP Mohan Kumar. Students started blocking the registrar’s office on Saturday, March 24, as even after over a month of continuous protests, the administration was not willing to address the students’ legitimate demands.
Students at TISS campuses across Mumbai, Guwahati, Hyderabad and Tulajpur began their strike on February 21, 2018 protesting a roll back of fee exemptions for GOI-PMS scholars. The scholarships were originally designed for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to encourage them to enter academia.
In the ensuing days protests have seen lots of twists and turns and upheavals. Right from ex-director Prof. Parashuraman telling students that the institute was doing students a favour by facilitating fee exemptions, to a section of students’ union betraying the protest of students to UGC officials visiting the campus. After the UGC officials visited the campus, an arrear of 11 crores was released to the institute but this will not go towards the fees exemption. Since then students have expanded their demands and asked the institute to make their accounts and deficits transparent. Students are strongly against attempts to privatise the institute.
And on Monday March 26 today the administration has shut down the secretariat, hostel offices and blocked wi-fi in a bid to retaliate against the students for blockading the admin bloc. Students express that the administration might also try other harsher moves like shutting down the water and food supply in order to cut down the protests.
However, they have noted, “The students however have gained a higher resolve to continue the peaceful blockade of the admin block until the authorities agrees to an honest and sincere meeting with the student body.”
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