TISS Suspends PhD Dalit Student For Protesting Against Government (image- facebook/Ramadas Prini Sivanandan)Ramadas Sivanadan, a Dalit PhD scholar, was recently suspended by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Mumbai for protesting against the government. He has been handed a two-year suspension by the administration.
Ramadas’s suspension has created an uproar among the student fraternity. The suspension came following his active participation in protests and his stance against the ruling regime. Ramadas was also formerly the general secretary of the Progressive Student’s Forum (PSF) at TISS Mumbai. The PSF has alleged that the decision was linked to the student’s participation in a protest march in Delhi in January against alleged anti-student policies of the central government. PSF is a left student collective at TISS Mumbai that vehemently opposed the administration’s move in a statement.
The suspension charges filed against Ramadas include questioning the Union government and its policies and programs, appealing the students to watch Ram Ke Naam, a national award-winning documentary, and attending a student protest in the national capital as violations of TISS’ code of conduct.
A show cause notice was issued earlier to Ramadas. The left student collective alleged that the TISS administration has signaled to the students that discourses of democracy and freedom of speech are only justified within the confines of the classroom. “If a student dares to express their opinion publicaly, they will be hunted down by the administration and labelled ‘anti-national’—especially if the student comes from a marginalised background—so much for an Institute that takes pride in its academic excellence and freedom!” the student body said.
The suspension of Ramadas was not an isolated incident, they further added. The student body in its statement claimed that the incident to be an open warning to all students of TISS against organising and calling out the anti-student policies of the administration. “However, the history of TISS has shown us that when students come together, they can defeat this fascistic TISS administration,” the statement read.
The PSF has urged the students to come together not just to revoke the suspension but to resist the attack on the autonomy and independent voice of the students.
Ramadas is currently pursuing a PhD from the School of Development Studies at the institute and is a vocal advocate for social justice.