Prominent Civil Society Activists and Student Organisations Come Together to Demand Repeal of Unjustified Suspension of Dalit PhD Scholar by TISS

Press Release | 21 April 2024 | Progressive Students’ Forum

The suspension of Ramadas, a Dalit PhD student and student leader, by the TISS administration for two years las led to a huge public uproar at the arbitrary nature of the actions by the administration. Ramadas is the Central Executive Committee member of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and the Joint Secretary of SFI Maharashtra. Ever since the notice was issued on 18th April 2024 banning the entry of the research scholar into any of the TISS campuses, the civil society, human rights activists, journalists, writers, student organisations, along with common students have unequivocally extended their unflinching solidarity with Ramadas and demanded the TISS administration to immediately revoke the notice.

United Students' of India, a banner of 15 student organisations from across the country, which organised the Parliament March in New Delhi has condemned the TISS administration as an "attempt to crush voices of dissent against the BJP-Sangh Parivar". Endorsed by all 15 student organisations working in various university campuses in India, the statement calls for the immediate withdrawal of suspension.

The rage at the undemocratic decision by the administration finds resonance in the solidarity statements released by the TISS Mumbai Students' Union as well as the Student Councils of Guwahati, Hyderabad and Tuljapur campuses. All democratic student organisations working in TISS Mumbai have extended solidarity with Ramadas's unjustified suspension and debarment.

Filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, whose documentary, Ram ke Naam, has been labelled 'propaganda' by the TISS administration, has called the suspension "undemocratic and unconstitutional". He has likened this action to that against Rohith Vemula unleashed by the HCU administration,

TISS administration has further labelled the speakers invited for the Bhagat Singh Memorial Lecture (BSML) as 'controversial. Professor Chaman Lal, speaker at the inaugural Bhagat Singh Memorial Lecture, has called the suspension "most reprehensible", whereas Aishe Ghosh, SFI Delhi President and former JNUSU President, speaker at the 5th BSML, has extended her unflinching solidarity with Ramadas in a video statement.

Many other civil society members like activist Teesta Setalvad, Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan, Working President of the Nationalist Congress Party Supriya Sule, former UGC Chairperson Dr Balachandra Mungekar, Tamil Nadu Minister and DMK leader Mano Thangaraj, General Secretary of SFI CEC Mayukh Biswas, President of SFI CEC VP Sanu and journalist Rana Ayyub, and among others, have extended their support in resisting the TISS administration's brutal crackdown on democratic rights enshrined in the Constitution of India.

In response to this widespread outcry in the national media, the TISS administration was forced to release a reactionary public notice dated 20th April 2024 defending its arbitrary suspension and debarment of Ramadas, equating the backlash to "malicious propaganda". Failing to substantiate their allegations, the notice makes false accusations on unfounded grounds and parrots the same accusations which have been fact-checked and proved untrue in previous PSF releases. TISS alumni have come together to call out the notice as a mark of disrespect to the legacy of TISS and shown their solidarity on social media with Ramadas. Some former TISS faculty members have also gone on to expose the alliance between the TISS administration and the BJP-led central government.

PSF-TISS thanks every single person who has extended solidarity and stood with the constitutional values of freedom to speech. The collective resistance to the attack from the Sangh Parivar forces by the progressive and democratic voices in the country has been immensely important at this time.

We would further appeal to the student community, members of civil society, and public intellectuals to continue standing in solidarity with Ramadas in resisting his unfair suspension and debarment as we remain committed to defending students' constitutional rights across university campuses.

Students' Unity Long Live!
Inquilab Zindabaad
#Justice for Ramadas #RevokeSuspension #injusTISS
Released by:
Progressive Students' Forum

Statements of Solidarity received from:

United Students of India (National Committees of AISA, AISF, AISB. CJRD, CYSS, Dravidian Students Federation, DMK Student Wing, DSF, NSUI, PSF. PSU, Samajwadi Chhatrasabha, Satro Mukti Sangam Samiti, SFI, Students' Federation of Dravidians, TSU)

TISS Mumbai Students' Union

TISS Tuljapur Students Council

TISS Hyderabad Students' Council

TISS Guwahati Students' Council

Adivasi Students' Forum TISS

North East Students' Forum TISS

Muslim Students' Forum TISS

Fraternity TISS

Ambedkarite Students' Association TISS

Progressive Students Organisation TISS Hyderabad

Ambedkarite Students' Association TISS Hyderabad

SFI Maharashtra

SFI Mumbai

SFI Delhi

SFI UK

Various units of SFI

Chintabar, IIT Madras

DSF JNU

BAPSA JNU

BASO JNU

AISA Chattisgarh

APPSC, IIT Delhi

Communist Party of India (Marxist)