Support pours in from Pakistan for Tata Institute of Social Sciences protest

TISS students' union has been protesting the administration's decision to stop scholarships of reserved category students. File Pic

The protest of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) students' union has now managed to garner support for its cause from across the border. The Progressive Students' Federation (PrSF) from Rawalpindi, Pakistan, has expressed solidarity with the TISS students through a post on their Facebook page.

Fighting for a similar cause
The statement posted by the students' collective from Pakistan read, "PrSF supports the fight against privatisation of education and believes it must be resisted because education is a vehicle of social progressiveness towards a more egalitarian society. We appreciate that students are opposing the injustices of the university administration. Here in Pakistan, students also face similar issues of privatisation and de-funding and only through global solidarity of students, we'll be able to overcome it."

Minhaj Afghan

Speaking to mid-day, Minhaj Afghan, central organiser, PrSF, said, "We have been running a campaign against privatisation of higher education, as it denies opportunities to youngsters from marginalised communities. Religious right wings often showcase their power in Pakistan, which eventually leads to violence. When we read about the TISS students' protest, we realised that they were fighting for a similar cause. Hence, we decided to extend support."

Meanwhile, the students of Hyderabad TISS withdrew their hunger strike on Wednesday after the administration considered some of their campus-specific demands. A statement issued by the students' union read, "We still continue to support the complete boycott of all administrative and academic activities on the Hyderabad campus with the same spirit of the Mumbai TISS students' union."

Admin says
The TISS administration released another statement on Wednesday, which mentions, "It's not a TISS scholarship at all. The institute doesn't determine who is eligible for it, nor does it fund it. The students who are yet to receive their Government of India Post Matric Scholarship can continue pursuing their courses and can even avail the dining and hostel facilities without paying for them. The administration appeals to students to appreciate the institute's initiatives and start attending their classes."

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