IIT-B alumni appeal to political parties to stay away from campus

The campus must remain a space dedicated to education, research, innovation, and intellectual growth, free from political interference, the alumni said in a media statement

Mumbai: More than 175 former students of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) on Monday appealed to political parties to stay away from the campus. The campus must remain a space dedicated to education, research, innovation, and intellectual growth, free from political interference, they said in a media statement. They also expressed concern over ongoing protests against the suicide of an IIT-B student and political involvement in the same, fearing these could affect the studies of nearly 12,000 students.

IIT-B alumni appeal to political parties to stay away from campus

In the media statement, the IIT-B alumni raised seven concerns regarding developments on campus over the past month. They said that while they respected the right of students to protest peacefully and seek justice, the academic interests and safety of other students should also be protected.

“We are genuinely concerned that disruptions arising from political interference could adversely affect their academic results and future prospects,” the statement said. It also expressed concern about the atmosphere of stress and uncertainty on campus affecting students’ mental well-being and leading to further grievances and incidents on campus.

The alumni urged the police to speed up the investigation into the alleged suicide and other recent incidents on campus, and establish the facts through a fair and timely process.

The group expressed concern about the safety of students, faculty members, staff and other people living on campus. It alleged that some people from outside had tried to enter the campus by jumping over the boundary wall and asked if the protest was continuing to focus on its demand for justice or was being influenced by wider political interests.

The group also said repeated closures and restrictions at the main gate were affecting daily campus life, and feared that academic programmes, institutional events and professional interactions could be postponed or cancelled because of the security situation.

The group said that students attending classes, working in laboratories and conducting research should be able to enter the institute without difficulty.