Mumbai court to TISS students: Protest, but don’t disrupt day-to-day activities

A Bombay civil court on Wednesday asked the agitating students of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to continue their protests, but without disrupting any day-to-day working of the institute. The court was hearing a petition filed by TISS administration against six protesting students, who had allegedly barged into the administrative wing of the institute last week and held a senior professor hostage for a few hours.

A Bombay civil court on Wednesday asked the agitating students of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to continue their protests, but without disrupting any day-to-day working of the institute.

A bandh was called by TISS Students’ Union on February 21 to protest the institute’s decision to withdraw the fee waiver given to SC, ST and OBC students. (HT file)

The court was hearing a petition filed by TISS administration against six protesting students, who had allegedly barged into the administrative wing of the institute last week and held a senior professor hostage for a few hours.

The court also asked TISS management to discuss problems with the students and resolve the issue at the earliest. The next hearing has been scheduled for June 19.

A bandh was called by TISS Students’ Union on February 21 to protest the institute’s decision to withdraw the fee waiver given to SC, ST and OBC students, eligible for last year’s Government of India Post Matric Scholarship (GoI-PMS).

Students have not attended classes since February 21 and the protest has been ongoing at all four campuses of TISS — Mumbai, Tuljapur, Hyderabad and Guwahati.

TISS students were present in court on Wednesday to show support to the six students who were named in the petition.

“Our protests have been peaceful for the past one month, and last week as well we were only trying to get concrete answers from the management. We have no intention of disrupting anything. We will continue our protests,” said one of the students.

Students are also unhappy with the institute’s decision to ‘single out’ a few students with such ‘threats’.

“We are fighting for the cause of social justice not just for ourselves but also for the future batches. Targeting few of us with such threats is disgraceful on part of the management,” said another student.