Press Release | 20 August 2024 | SFI

The Central Executive Committee of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) strongly condemns the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) administration’s decision to ban the Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF), a progressive, secular, and democratic students’ organization within TISS. The undemocratic move comes after the ban on PSF is a blatant attempt to weaken democracy and stifle the voice of students who have been raising issues related to their education and social concerns. PSF has been actively involved in creating democratic awareness among students, organizing various programs, and working towards the welfare of students from financially struggling, SC, ST, and OBC and other marginalised sections of the society. The commendable interventions from PSF in various forms such as studies, reports, academic lectures and admission assistance have often helped students outside TISS as well.

It is alarming that the TISS administration has taken this undemocratic action without any valid reason, but solely to divide the student community. The decision to ban PSF is a direct attack on democratic rights and freedom of expression. Earlier, in April 2024,  Ramadas Prini Sivanandan, a Dalit PhD student at TISS, who is also a member of the central executive committee of SFI and former PSF general secretary was suspended on flimsy grounds. He was termed as anti national by a public university led by Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan as the chairman, for criticising education policies of BJP.

The SFI Central Executive Committee strongly condemns the TISS administration’s authoritarian approach and the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s role as the chairman of the TISS society. We demand the immediate revocation of the ban on PSF and the reinstatement of Ramadas P.S.

We call upon all students and democratic-minded citizens to unite and stage a powerful struggle against the TISS administration under BJP led union government’s undemocratic actions and the Education Ministry’s policies that undermine the autonomy of educational institutions. The SFI stands in solidarity with the students of TISS and will support their fight for democratic rights and social justice.

Released by
V P Sanu (President, SFI)
Mayukh Biswas (General Secretary, SFI)

Click here to read the statement on the organisation’s website