The United Students of India forum have strongly condemned the suspension and debarring from entering campus for two years, of Ramadas Prini Sivanandan, a Dalit PhD scholar and leader of the Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF), by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai, citing violation of ‘national interest’. This suspension follows a show cause notice issued to him after his participation in the Parliament March in New Delhi in January 2024, organized under the banner of the United Students of India.
The charges leading to his suspension also include encouraging others to watch “Ram Ke Naam,” a national award-winning documentary.
“Such a pseudo-nationalistic evaluation of students by the TISS administration can only be viewed as an attempt to crush the voices of dissent against the BJP-Sangh Parivar, “says a statement issued by the forum today. “As a first-generation learner, Ramadas has consistently and unequivocally defended student rights in campus. He has worked hard to build joint platforms and alliances among all student organizations.”
Ramadas also represents the ‘United Students of India’, the joint platform comprising of 16 major student organizations across the country. The targeting of students by the TISS administration appears to be nothing more than an attempt to appease the ruling BJP.
Victimising a student from Dalit background also aligns with the BJP’s broader project to exclude students from marginalized communities from higher education. Such actions undoubtedly tarnish the independent academic credibility of the institute. The USI stands in solidarity with Ramadas, as well as other progressive students at TISS, in their fight against this unjust action, says the statement.
The forum has also reminded the institution that such attempts always fail. Besides demanding a withdrawal of the suspension, the organisation has urged all other like-minded student organisations and the democratic section of the country to come forward to resist this attack on democracy.
Among the signatories are Prasenjit for the United Students of India (AISA) Dinesh Seerangaraj (AISF) Amit Singh (AISB) Priyanka Bharti (CJRD) Anurag Nigam (CYSS) Prince Ennares Periyar (Dravidian Students Federation) CVMP Ezhilarasan (DMK Student wing) Anagha Pradeep (DSF) Nitish Gaur (NSUI) Lagan Mangla (PSF) Nowfal Md. Saifulla (PSU) Dr. Imran (Samajwadi Chhatrasabha) Devabrata Saikia (Satro Mukti Sangam Samiti) Aravind B (Students’ Federation of Dravidians) Mayukh Biswas (SFI) and Sujit Tripura (TSU)