Students from other campuses of the institute extended their support to the protest by boycotting classes and staging dharnas
Officials of the institute are using the back-gate, as the protestors have blocked the main one
The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) continues to be embroiled in controversy with the students' protest getting stronger with each passing day. As the protest against the administration's decision to stop scholarships for reserved category students entered the second day, support poured in from other campuses of the institute. Even the students of Delhi University extended their solidarity by issuing a letter in this regard. However, after an over-night protest, the authorities called some of the students for a meeting on Thursday evening.
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According to sources, since Wednesday night, the authorities have been forced to use the back-gate of the institute, as the protesting students have kept the main-gate blocked. Even though the administration has stated fund crunch and delay in receiving grants from the government the main reasons behind stopping the scholarships, the students are of the opinion that it was their constitutional right.
One of the students taking part in the protest, Shefali Saini, said, "The protest continued through Wednesday night, as the authorities didn't meet us to discuss the issue. Even though we had blocked the main-gate, the back-gate was opened for the officials. Till Thursday evening there was no response from the authorities. Though a meeting has been called, the matter is yet to be resolved."
Meanwhile, students from the TISS campuses in Hyderabad, Guwahati and Tuljapur boycotted their classes and stages dharnas to support the protest. Moreover, Shantanu Singh Gaur, general secretary, Department of Social Work Students' Union, Delhi University, issued a letter, which reads, "The Government of India has done huge fund cuts for TISS in the last three years, to increase the chances of the institute's privatisation. The total amount is nearly R20 crore. The TISS administration has failed to provide an alternative to the students. We support their struggle."
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