TISS protests get support from IIT-B and other institutes

On Wednesday, students from IIT-B, FTII and Student Islamic Organisation, among others, voiced their support for the agitation.

As their protests enter the second week, students of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) are receiving support from campuses across India.

Students of the Hyderabad campus of TISS started an indefinite hunger strike on Tuesday. (HT File)

On Wednesday, students from Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B), Film Television Institute of India (FTII) and Student Islamic Organisation (SIO), among others, voiced their support for the agitation.

“We want the TISS administration to pay heed to students’ demands, including continuation of financial support for SC, ST and OBC students,” said a representative of the Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle of IIT-B. Students of the group staged a protest in their campus on Wednesday, in support of TISS students.

A bandh was called by TISS Students’ Union on February 20 to protest against the institute’s decision to withdraw fee waiver to SC, ST and OBC students eligible for the Government of India’s Post Matric Scholarship (GoI-PMS) last year. On Sunday night, representatives of the institute’s management held a three-hour meeting with protesting students to find an alternative solution to the problem. Students, however, refused to budge till their demands are met.

Students of the Hyderabad campus of TISS started an indefinite hunger strike on Tuesday. They called it off on Wednesday after a dialogue with the acting director of the institute, Prof Shalini Bharat. However, protests by students across all four campuses will continue, said students.