Today in Delhi there was a demonstration call given by BAPSA at Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in support of TISS Students. While the protesting students were detained at Parliament Street Police Station for no reason as such (some were injured, roughed up), but thankfully the police incharge at the end allowed (and helped) us to meet the ministry. BAPSA President Thallapelli Praveen submitted a memorandum to Union Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot, on behalf of TISS Students’ Union and BAPSA.
Memorandum can be accessed here: https://drive.google.com/open
It seemed that Union Minister Gehlot did not know much about the TISS issue, contrary to what the Institute says that they have been meeting ministries and negotiating etc. etc.
We informed the Minister that the ministry is required to release the GoI-PMS scholarship amount due to the institute as well as the students. Also, that they should increase the amount so that TISS students are able to compensate the high fees with scholarship money.
Minister initially responded by saying that there must have been some procedural issues at the end of the Institute or the students, that is why the ministry did not release funds. When we further argued, he assured that his office will look into the matter and release the fund as soon as possible.
We informed him about the strike in all four TISS campuses and the hunger strike by Hyderabad students. He said there is no need to go on strike. When we asked him if he can give a statement in media or can talk directly with the TISS admin, he indirectly refused.
Now, we should demand the Institute to release the correspondence with the ministry. If at all there was any!
Information provided by Baljeet Kaur
I see no reason to call off the strike. If that is done, the pressure will be off and the matter will yield no result. The demonstration should be now taken to the PMO to attract more and pointed attention. In any case the Minister E &SJ will not be able to throw weight for turning the scale in favour of the agitating students.
These are the persons going to be a committed social change makers in the future. They should be given due respect and support. Any peaceful agitation must be heared and not be branded as anti???
There is suffocation everywhere. Modi has either placed his own tail-wagging officials on top institutions like EC SC Universities Police and all; or simply ‘disabled’ those who do not follow him. BJP Govts spent billions on celebrating Gita jayanti in Haryana, ramnavami in UP and Kumbh in MP but they don’t have funds for education. Shame on us what sort of people have we elected to govern us!! How long we shall carry on tolerating them? There is some basic problem with ourselves also. When time comes we keep mum. We don’t stand up an speak. We look at others to speak. Only when we are personally hit, we start weeping. It is the time we the educationists leave aside our books and come out of study rooms and shout like a laborer on the road.