TISS Guwahati students who are on a hunger strike.
GUWAHATI, MARCH 13 (MExN): 43 ST, SC and OBC students of Tata Institute of Social sciences, Guwahati began with the indefinite hunger strike on March 12 with the support of hundreds of fellow students.
The hunger strike continued to the second day as the steps taken by TISS administration in Guwahati and Mumbai are not what the protesters are demanding, informed a press note from the GOI-PMS Students Association (Government of India Post Matric Scholarships) Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Guwahati Campus.
The statement informed that despite the strike, campus administrative and academic activities continue. “Students term it as a ‘black day for education’ in an institute with the vision to serve the poor and marginalized but unfortunately failed to do so by cutting students aid, framing policies which automatically restrict students from poor and marginalised communities not to apply to institute in the future,” it added.
It further said that the indefinite hunger strike has witnessed a series of attempts made by the administration to dilute the hunger strike with words and warnings of unpleasant law and order situations.
An institute official letter dated March 13 stated that Institute doctor was sent for students medical check-up in the afternoon March 12, when the strike was on at Dighalipukhuri. However according to students, the institute “does not depute doctor for the check-up on the first day and students themselves arranged doctors.”
It meanwhile expressed concern that the TISS Guwahati administration has even restricted media entry inside the campus.
The protest began on February 21with many demands being put forward across four campuses in Mumbai, Guwahati, Tuljapur and Hyderabad. Demands of students to waive off fee for the already enrolled students were considered by TISS administration. However, the matter for the students in the process of applying for the 2018 session and future aspirants remains uncertain. The protest has intensified in order to question the very existence of TISS Guwahati off-campus where 66% seats are reserved for students from eight North Eastern States.
