Endorsed Teesta Setavad Journalist-activist, Educationist Mumbai
On 27-Feb-2018 1:42 AM, "KP Sasi" <[email protected]> wrote: > I endorse. > K.P. Sasi > Film Maker > > On Mon, Feb 26, 2018 at 4:39 PM, Goldy M George <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> *IT SEEMS THE DOCUMENT DIDN'T GET ATTACHED LAST TIME. HERE IT IS* >> >> * SOLIDARITY STATEMENT We the undersigned alumni, activists, >> academicians, journalists, writers, teachers, artists, filmmakers, >> students, researchers, professionals and other concerned citizens stand in >> solidarity with the agitating students and scholars across the four >> campuses of Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Education is the medium to >> attain the highest order of human wisdom. All education, including streams >> of pure and social sciences should mandatorily be non-discriminatory and >> accessible for all citizens in all ways across the globe. As an >> institutional mechanism, education should directly or indirectly, serve the >> interest of furthering non-discriminatory practices, human rights, >> irrespective of class, caste, gender, race, ethnicity, religious or sexual >> orientation or physical or mental disability. Thus one could come to point >> that the purpose of all education is to sensitise, to humanise, to take >> humanity to higher levels of knowledge, awareness, freedom and social >> responsibility. However the story in hand has something different to tell. >> Students across the four campuses of Tata Institute of Social Sciences >> (TISS) in Mumbai, Tuljapur, Hyderabad and Gawhati had gone on strike since >> February 21, 2018. All classes remained empty since then. While the issues >> around student aid have been raised for more than a year now, the last few >> days have seen large-scale protests at all TISS campuses. In 2016, what >> initially began as the struggle of some students from Dalit-Adivasi >> sections in TISS has over time become a mass protest. The student union of >> TISS has called for a complete boycott of lectures, field work, assignment >> and even examination. This is the first time that students’ union has >> backed any dissent from the students belonging to the deprived category. >> This time the protest began simultaneously on February 21 at all four TISS >> campuses – Mumbai, Tuljapur, Hyderabad and Guwahati – against the >> institute’s decision to stop student aid to those belonging to Scheduled >> Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) from >> 2016 onwards. The Story of Reservation Reservation is a fundamental right >> as per Indian Constitution, which has been time and again under severe >> threat under the pretext of merit and upper caste demand. Reservation in >> the educational institutions and the financial assistance in the form of >> scholarships and freeships constitute perhaps the most important factor in >> the development scheme for people from historically oppressed, marginalised >> and exploited background. For, it is primarily responsible to make the >> basic input of education available to them. Without education, all the >> constitutional safeguards including the reservation in services would be >> infructuous. The Reforms have already resulted in freezing the grants to >> many institutions and in stagnating, if not lowering, the expenditure on >> education. The free market ethos has entered the educational sphere in a >> big way. Commercialisation of education is no more a mere rhetoric; it is >> now an established fact. Commercial institutions offering specialised >> education signifying the essential input from utilitarian viewpoint have >> come up in a big way from cities to small towns. Their product-prices are >> not only based on the demand-supply consideration in their market segment >> but also are manipulated by their promotional strategies. In a true spirit >> of globalisation, many foreign universities have already invaded the >> educational spheres through hitherto unfamiliar strategic alliances with >> non-descript commercial agencies, of course at hefty dollar equivalent >> prices. The TISS Story TISS students had undergone a difficult phase for >> the past half a decade, more specifically in the last two years. This is in >> particular with the question of accessing the benefits under reservation. >> One after another social groups were targeted which has now reached a >> standstill state. Established by the Union government’s Ministry of Social >> Justice and Empowerment, the post-matriculation scholarship scheme has long >> been the economic spine that has supported students from marginalised >> communities who venture into higher education. These funds helped the >> students from socially backward and economically weaker sections to >> overcome the hurdle of increasing tuition fees, hostel cost and dining hall >> charges at the institute, which would have otherwise made it difficult for >> them to continue their studies. This scheme is now in jeopardy. The apathy >> of the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government has >> been exacerbated by the present Bharatiya Janata Party regime. At the >> beginning of the 2017 academic year, the TISS administration suddenly >> announced that it would charge dining hall and hostel fees from everyone – >> including the Government of India-Post Matriculation Scholarship (GOI-PMS) >> students belonging to SC and ST categories. According to this circular, the >> students who were then in the second year of the two years masters >> programme also had to pay. Though this issue has been consistently in >> debate since 2010 onwards in some form or other, it came up in a big way >> during the present Modi regime, when it began to target the scholarship to >> student from specific social groups. In 2015, the institute withdrew >> financial aid to students belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) >> (non-creamy layer), and statistics shows that the representation of OBCs in >> the institute has taken a hit. About six months ago, a delegation of SC, >> ST and OBC students had met the minister of state for social justice and >> empowerment, Ramdas Athawale, and discussed their issues in detail. In this >> meeting, we were assured that our issues would be taken up on a priority >> basis and we would not be made to pay. While that conversation is still on, >> the institute went ahead with exerting pressure and demanding fees from the >> students. Most students will have to drop out if the administration does >> not relent. Playing the Foul Rhetoric of Reservation Over the years, the >> Union Finance Ministry has continuously rejected the financial demands >> placed by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. This means that >> the department has a fraction of the amount it requires to disburse as >> post-matriculation scholarships across India. A deposition before the >> standing committee on social justice and empowerment by the Department of >> Social Justice and Empowerment said that this has resulted in aggrandising >> the arrears. The report says, “Scheme of Post Matric Scholarships for SCs >> in which there are pending arrears to the tune of approximately Rs 8000 >> crores” for the 2017-18 financial year. The standing committee report, >> presented in Parliament last March, notes that “the Department submitted a >> requirement of Rs 10355.71 crores to the Ministry of Finance, Department of >> Expenditure. In response to this the department allocated only Rs >> 6,908.00 crores for the financial year 2017-18.” Targeting TISS TISS has >> been on target for a longer period. Apart from the withdrawal of >> scholarship for the OBC student – which the TISS administration accounted >> it to be the fault of the government – there are several other instances of >> targeting student from Adivasi sections. In 2015, the name of TISS was >> deleted from the online application procedure for students belonging to ST >> category doing their MPhil and PhD programmes. The fellowship original >> known as Rajeev Gandhi National Fellowship for ST students (RGNF) was >> renamed as National Fellowship for Higher Education of ST Students (NFST). >> In the online list, the name of TISS was missing from the list of eligible >> institutions. Priyanka Sandilya one of the Adivasi PhD scholars went on >> to write to the Jual Oram, the Minister of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and to the >> Chairperson of National Commission for Scheduled Tribe (NCST). She wrote, >> ‘all the four campuses of TISS (Mumbai, Tuljapur, Hyderabad and Gawhati) >> has been dropped from the national list, leaving them to loose their >> constitutional rights to avail scholarships.’ She refers to the pattern of >> prohibiting Adivasi scholars from some particular institutions like TISS to >> apply for legitimate scholarship. With the removal of TISS from the UGC’s >> list, many Adivasi Scholars enrolled for doctoral studies at TISS have been >> left staggering without any support. According to the letter, ‘we have >> been deprived of applying under the UGC scheme… In the online application >> form of NFST, the name of Tata Institute of Social Sciences did not appear >> in the list of eligible universities, due to which, many ST students could >> not apply and some have applied leaving the Institute name blank in the >> online application form. As Adivasi Students, we are eligible to apply >> under this scheme, but we are being deprived of being considered for the >> award of the Fellowship.’ It could be seen that this has been a trend in >> the neo-liberal phase of Indian economy where the most marginalised ones >> are the first victims of this development politics, particularly in the >> field of education. It is under these compulsions that the students’ >> current movement in TISS attains importance and relevance. The demands are >> genuine by all legal and logical measure upheld by the Constitution of >> India. Another trend has crept since 2014. The University Grand >> Commission (UGC) has sent circulars to many universities including TISS >> demanding the details of students from particular sections. This was done >> at the behest of Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). These >> include Adivasis, Dalits, Muslim minorities and those who are part of >> communist or communist-like students’ organisations. This highly >> confidential circular to the Vice Chancellors demanded for their addresses, >> photographs, courses undertaken with the particular university, parental >> details, etc. The right wing government wants to completely wipe of any >> sort of dissent against it’s regime and has put in place all sorts of >> systems against those who resist the anti-people policies of the >> government. In a way it is to trap students into a cobweb and stamp them as >> terrorists, extremists and anti-nationals. Many students from these >> sections were under severe threat for being from these social groups. >> There are many circumstances where the students and scholars are no more >> the free-beings within university premises. Universities are the global >> spaces where free mind and free thinking are developed. It goes beyond the >> state’s notion of academics and also engages with the society in a critical >> manner. In this way the delimitation of spaces for the evolution and >> development of free minds and spaces put forth an array of critical >> questions on the very notion of scientific approach and free thinking of >> the university spaces. Third, one of the most critical schools/centres in >> all Indian university have been notified for a closure. The School/Centre >> for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy (CSSEIP) in all the >> universities are supposed to close down including TISS. This has been one >> of the most critical schools/ centres with critical outlook on >> socio-economic, cultural and political systems, particularly the continuity >> of disparities based on caste, class, ethnicity, gender, racial, religious, >> regional and sexual orientation. The students, scholars and faculty members >> are already under the threat of loosing these space in terms of education >> as well as employment. TISS Students – Fighting Discrimination The >> students in TISS are creating a new history with such a long strike that >> has never happened in the past. Their fight is not just against the TISS >> administration, but at large against the system that deprives and >> discriminates student alongwith their family members from accessing the >> benefits of reservation. It is a fight against the systemic reinstatement >> of caste system under the aegis of Hindutva. It is to be kept in mind that >> for the past three years, all progressive, democratic and secular spaces >> are consistently under threat, more specifically within the educational and >> academic sector. Within the Indian campuses there has been a war-like >> situation among the students groups over the past few years, particularly >> with that of the right wing ideology. Excessive attempts have been made to >> completely saffronise the educational curriculum, syllabus and other >> aspects, which the students across the country have resisted strongly. >> Under these contexts the demands put forth by the students of TISS attains >> not just importance within the institute but also national and >> international relevance on how scientific thought processes are completely >> blocked. The Demand of Students The demands as raised by the students are >> as follows - 1. Withdrawal of Fees Hike. 2. Reinstatement of >> freeship/ scholarship for Dalit (SC), Adivasi (ST) and OBC (non-creamy >> layer) students under reservation policy. 3. Nationally bring an end >> to policies undermining Social Justice. 4. Stop privatisation of >> education and educational institutions across India. SC-ST Funds Diverted >> or Underutilisation While at one end there is a lack of allocation of funds >> from the Central Finance Ministry, on the other, the funds under SC >> sub-plan and ST sub-plan have been consistently diverted or underutilised >> in most of the states. Some media reports indicate that the funds allocated >> in the Adivasi dominant states, such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha, >> have not been able to spend their fund allocation beyond 11 percent. Few >> reports suggest that money for educational support under pre and post >> matric scholarship were diverted into the anti-insurgency operations in >> constructing roads, deployment of security forces and their subsidiary >> expenditures. The state governments have been playing a big foul play in >> this entire display. There are clear cases of fund underutilisation. For >> instance a student from Chhattisgarh studying in TISS would get only Rs. >> 7500/- as fees annually for doing a course in the institution, while the >> fees is almost a lakh rupees. The argument placed is pretty mindless, >> beyond any rational imagination. According to this argument, a student >> studying in TISS is eligible to avail only the amount, at par with another >> student from his or her home district, doing a similar course in a local >> government college. This means that if a student from Bastar studies in >> TISS, his course cost would be only the fees that another student from >> Bastar has to pay. The government authorities argue that this would prevent >> “discrimination’ in fund allocation for other students. There cannot be a >> special category of ‘premier’ and ‘non-premier’ institutions. All are being >> treated “equal” is the best argument. Perhaps if a student gets admission >> for MA in New York University, then he or she has to take Rs. 7500/- >> annually as the course fee. It has remained the same with most of the >> states, where the students from SC, ST and OBC category are treated as >> beggars on whom the government is doing some sort of a charity. The Punjab >> and Haryana High Court has come up with a clear verdict that the government >> should release the total amounts of fees to the students belonging to SC >> category including tuition fees, hostel fees, mess fees and any other >> eligible fees charged by the institution. It has also added that the >> students should be also assisted by a decent living cost. This means the >> ‘non-discriminatory’ argument of Chhattisgarh government does not have a >> locus standi. Such a situation of non-deliverance of substantial monetary >> assistance, despite being allocated from the centre, has already led >> institutions like TISS into a perennial debt trap. But TISS has never >> figured out the ways and means to come out of it. It would have been better >> had it supported the students cause by engaging in a negotiation with the >> government bodies and ministries. Instead of doing anything such the >> institution, in turn has put more pressure on the students to bring more >> money from their homes. These situations are really threatening for the >> sustenance of a healthy democratic nation, where students from particular >> sections are denied the right to study. Under these circumstances, we call >> upon the government of India, all the different state governments and the >> TISS administration to – 1. Take immediate action to reinstate the >> post-matric scholarship meant for students from different marginalised >> sections. 2. TISS administration should stop harassment of students by >> instant pressure tactics of fees hike. 3. Both the central and state >> governments should take adequate steps to immediately release the funds and >> backlogs to premier institutions like TISS. 4. The state governments >> should stop comparing TISS with colleges in the local area. 5. Stop >> spreading hatred in the campuses and politicising the students on caste, >> religious, ethnicity, gender, class and regional factors. 6. Release >> the backlog fund for the welfare of the students from weaker sections of >> Indian society across universities of India. 7. Uphold the space for >> scientific and rationale though development, freedom of individuals and in >> understanding the nuances of society in a critical manner. 8. Stop the >> attempts to saffronise educational institutions and campuses. 9. >> Reinstate the Schools and Centres on Study of Social Exclusion and >> Inclusive Policy. 10. Ensure the fulfilment of constitutional and >> democratic rights of students from SC, ST, OBC, Minority and other special >> categories. We remain in solidarity and support with the students’ in >> TISS campuses 1. Dr. Goldy M. George, Activist/ Writer/ >> Researcher, Chief Editor, Journal of People's Studies, Mumbai, Maharashtra, >> India 2. Dr. Sujatha Surepally, Principal, University Arts >> College, Satavahana University, Karimnagar, Telengana, India >> 3. Cynthia Stephen, Co-Founder, Dalit Women’s Network for >> Solidarity, Bangalore, India 4. Dr. Madhumita Ray, Assistant >> Professor, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneshwar, India >> 5. Dr. B. Karthik Navayan, Human Rights Activist, Bangalore, >> India 6. Dr. K. Valentina, Assistant Professor, School of >> Business, Public Policy and Social Entrepreneurship, Ambedkar University, >> Delhi, India 7. Dr. Bela Nawaz, Assistant Professor, Sahid >> Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan >> 8. Dr. Salina V. Sreenivasan, Assistant Professor, SAEBTM >> Government College, Koyilandy, Kozhikode, Kerala, India 9. >> Laxmidhar Singh, General Secretary, All India Ho Language Action Committee, >> Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India 10. Dr. Sreedhar Ramamurthi, >> Executive Director, Environics Trust, New Delhi, India 11. Amit >> Sen Gupta, Independent Journalist, New Delhi, India 12. Freny >> Manecksha, Independent Journalist, Mumbai, India. 13. Samarendra >> Das, Senior Research Associate, University of Sussex, London, UK >> 14. Prabhakar Gwal, Former CJM of Sukma, Mahasamund District, >> Chhattisgarh, India 15. Pradeep Esteves, Context India, >> Bangalore, India 16. Max Ediger, Peace Activist, USA >> 17. Dr. Baiju Vareed, Social Work Instructor, Red Deer College, >> Red Deer Alberta, Canada 18. Dr. Ganesh Digal, Post Doctoral >> Fellow, Council of Social Development, Hyderabad 19. Vivek >> Sakpal, Editor, People’s Voice, Mumbai, India 20. Vidya Bhushan >> Rawat, Activist/ Writer, New Delhi, India 21. Inji Pennu, Global >> Voices and Global Advocacy, San Diego, California, USA 22. >> Akhilesh Edgar, Coordinator, Working Committee, Chhattisgarh Citizens’ >> Joint Action Committee, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India 23. Xavier >> Dias, Activist, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India 24. Phylis Zeenath >> Sathar, Artist, Durban, South Africa 25. Sharanya, Humane >> Koraput, Odisha, India 26. Subhadra Dora, Convenor, Regional >> Initiative for Tribal Empowerment and Solidarity, Malkangiri, Odisha >> 27. Ajay T G, Independent Filmmaker, Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, India >> 28. Sanjeev Khudshah, Writer/ National General Secretary, Caste >> Annihilation Movement, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India 29. Halima >> Abdullah, Interfaith Cooperation Forum, Mindanao, Philippines 30. >> Dr. Piya Chatterjee, Chair, FGSS, Scripps College, Claremont Consortium, >> California, USA 31. Ashok Shrimali, Coordinator, Setu Centre for >> Social Knowledge and Action, Ahmedbad, Gujarat, India 32. Dr. >> Qudsia Anjum, President, Mahila Sanstha Parcham, Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, >> India 33. Dr. Preshit Nemdas Ambade, PhD Candidate University of >> Arizona, Tucson, Arizon, USA 34. Akash Poyam, Editor, Adivasi >> Resurgence, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India 35. Obed Manwatkar, >> Volunteer, Truthseekers International, PhD Scholar, Allahabad University, >> Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India 36. Augustine Veliath, >> Chairperson, Nonviolence Foundation, New Delhi 37. Sherwani Amir >> Khan, Odisha Shramajeebee Mancha, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha 38. >> Makarand Purohit, Freelance Documentary Filmmaker, Durg, Chhattisgarh, >> India 39. Kavita Krishnan, Secretary, AIPWA, New Delhi >> 40. Heenrani Nayak, Mahila Shramjeebee Mancha-Odisha, >> Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India 41. Sagaya Shanthy, Visthar, >> Bangalore, Karnataka, India 42. Gopabandhu Sika, Vice President, >> Mulnivasi Students & Youth Front, Bargarh, Odisha, India 43. >> Meesha Bhagat, PhD Scholar, University of Jammu, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, >> India 44. Hemangi Kadlak, PhD Scholar, TISS, Mumbai, India >> 45. Sheetal Dinakar Kamble, PhD Scholar, TISS, Mumbai, India >> 46. Shabana Ali, PhD Scholar, School of Art and Aesthetics, >> Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India 47. Zeeshan Husain, >> PhD Scholar, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India 48. >> Dishani Roy, Student, BA Sociology (Honours), Presidency University, >> Kolkata, West Bengal, India 49. Bobby Kunnu, Lawyer, Bangalore, >> Karnataka, India 50. Raya Steier, California, USA 51. >> Pramila K. P., PhD Scholar, Central University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, >> Telengana, India 52. Hemanta Dalapati, Poet/ Writer, Malkangiri, >> Odisha 53. Christopher Rajkumar, Executive Secretary, NCCI-Unity >> and Mission, National Council of Churches in India, Nagpur, Maharashtra, >> India GMG* >> >> On 26 February 2018 at 16:00, Goldy M George <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >>> *APOLOGIES FOR CROSS POSTING* >>> *WRITE BACK TO [email protected] <[email protected]>* >>> >>> Dear all >>> You might be aware that the students in TISS campus has entered their >>> sixth day of strike against the withdrawal of the scholarship given to >>> SC/ST people. One of their demands is to Stop Privatisation of educational >>> institutions. I am sending you this solidarity letter that has agred and >>> signed by many including TISS alumni, activists, academicians, journalists, >>> writers, teachers, artists, filmmakers, students, researchers, >>> professionals and other concerned people from across the globe. This mail >>> comes to you for further endorsement. >>> >>> Please send me your *COMPLETE NAME, POSITION, ORGANISATION/ >>> INSTITUTION, LOCATION* >>> We would release it tomorrow (February 27, 2018) by 5 pm (IST) to all >>> media and others. We would take all endorsement it till 4 PM (IST) on >>> February 27, 2018. Please consider it as urgent. Those who have signed it >>> need not endorse it again. >>> >>> Kindly forward it to people on your list serve to get maximum support. >>> >>> Warm regards >>> GMG >>> >>> -- >>> --------------------------------- >>> "Creation of a casteless, classless and peaceful society is indeed the >>> first step towards just, egalitarian, and harmonious society. It is not >>> just a struggle of one's identity, rather it is the struggle for the >>> complete liberation of mankind. A society of equals, neither unequal nor >>> more-equals, beyond the strings of caste, class, gender, race, ethnicity, >>> etc. Otherwise it leads to social oppression, political exploitation, >>> economic deprivation, cultural domination, gender discrimination, class >>> isolation, deliberate exclusion. Lets’ believe in a society beyond this...." >>> >>> *DR. GOLDY M. GEORGE* >>> *+919893277910* >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> --------------------------------- >> "Creation of a casteless, classless and peaceful society is indeed the >> first step towards just, egalitarian, and harmonious society. It is not >> just a struggle of one's identity, rather it is the struggle for the >> complete liberation of mankind. A society of equals, neither unequal nor >> more-equals, beyond the strings of caste, class, gender, race, ethnicity, >> etc. Otherwise it leads to social oppression, political exploitation, >> economic deprivation, cultural domination, gender discrimination, class >> isolation, deliberate exclusion. Lets’ believe in a society beyond this...." >> >> *DR. GOLDY M. GEORGE* >> *+919893277910* >> >> >> > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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