Endoresed Paromita Vohra, filmmaker and writer
On Tue, Feb 27, 2018 at 10:36 AM, 'sandhya gokhale' via humanrights movement <[email protected]> wrote: > endorsed > activist, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Mumbai > > On Tuesday, 27 February, 2018, 9:32:13 AM IST, Teesta Setalvad < > [email protected]> wrote: > > > 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]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > . > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > -- > 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]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > . > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- Paromita Vohra PARODEVI PICTURES www.parodevipictures.com www.agentsofishq.com <http://www.parodevi.com> @parodevi -- "हम हैं दीवाने फिर कैसा डर" -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. 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