Open Forum
New Delhi, 3 June 2015
Echoes of IIT (M)
FREE SPEECH &
CAMPUS POLITICS
By Dr S Saraswathi
(Former Director,
ICSSR, New Delhi)
The de-recognition of a student body, ‘Ambedkar-Periyar Study Circle’ in IIT, Madras, by its management
has turned into a big inter-party conflict going beyond the campus. Its echo is
heard on the streets of the capital and in other metropolitan cities. Fortunately, Parliament is not in session as
it would provide yet another chance to opposition to stall proceedings.
Two big issues are hidden in this episode – one is political
rivalry consequent to the big change that has taken place in national politics,
and the other is the simmering discontent surrounding the politics of reservation
ready to burst at short notice.
The ban has not clipped the wings of the student body.
Instead, it has encouraged more such student organizations to the embarrassment
of the management. Students from IIT, Bombay
have formed the Ambedkar-Periyar-Phule
Study Circle and staged its first protest on the
campus. So also have the students of JNU and Kolkata’s Jadavpur University.
These developments are perceived as yet another controversy
over the freedom of speech and to form association – located this time within
an academic campus. It raises emotions and voices even in the absence of full
and accurate information on the facts of the situation, the circumstances, and
the background. Political parties – regional and national - have readily jumped
into the fray to champion the cause of fundamental rights and to convert and
portray a disciplinary action in an educational institution into an instance of
curtailment of freedom of speech.
The reason for this drastic action on the part of the IIT
management is stated to be “misuse of privileges” and failure to follow the
code of conduct adopted for student bodies. The code prescribes that all
activities of student bodies should be taken with the knowledge of the Dean.
The announcement of
de-recognition, follows an anonymous complaint that the affected student body
was instigating protests against the Centre’s
policies and creating “hatred” against the PM and polarize students on
caste. It is said that the group has been circulating pamphlets and has put
posters reiterating some of the thoughts of Periyar EVR and Ambedkar.
The Institute’s Director has denied that de-recognition was
in response to an anonymous letter, but states that the student body, which has
not followed guidelines in conducting their activities has been asked to
explain its action.
Incidentally, information on the life and works of Ambedkar
and Periyar EVR and their thoughts which concern every aspect of life in a
society are openly available in many forms. Biographies depicting their lives
and research work on their ideologies and actions are published in many
languages; and study circles actively keep alive their contributions.
The “canutish” attitude of banning a student body promoting
the ideas of these two leaders is indeed laughable. It also amounts to
misinterpretation of the thoughts of these two great leaders as spreading
hatred against the government.
The members of this student organization explain they were
engaged in propagating the thoughts of Ambedkar and Periyar EVR to help people
realize the evil of caste-based discrimination
taking place in modern India and to expose the ideology functioning
behind such discrimination. Anti-caste propaganda is not prohibited, but
linking casteism with politics is.
Several political parties, barring the BJP which is believed
to be the target for the group, have immediately condemned the incident as
suppression of freedom of speech. The DMK President has sought the intervention
of Modi to lift the ban. In his opinion, this is “unilateral and autocratic
decision” of PM’s cabinet colleagues which would destroy free thinking of the
youth as well as peace in the country.
Not only regional parties in Tamil Nadu like the MDMK, the
PMK, Viduthalai Siruthai Katchi, and Thanthai Periyar Dravida Kazhagam, but
national parties in the State like the CPI, the CPM, and the TNCC staged
protests in Chennai. Student wings of some political parties – Democratic Youth
Federation of India, All India Student Federation, and Revolutionary Students
Youth Front- promptly held protest processions. A forum called All Student
Movements has demanded removal of the ban. This way, the incident within a
campus is politicized.
Whether students can indulge in politics or not is no longer
a topic for debate. Voting age being 18 years, it coincides with a student’s
entry into an institution of higher education. College students are voters and
considered mature enough to understand political and public issues and cannot
be prevented from discussing politics peacefully. In many universities, student
unions are outfits of political parties and contest union elections.
Within the IIT (M), several student groups are functioning
and are known for their rightist and leftist leanings. Rationalist thoughts
questioning superstitious beliefs and rituals, hierarchical order in the caste
system, and primacy of some castes and degradation of some others are openly
propagated in Tamil Nadu for over a century without creating any law and order
problem. Periyar himself had many Brahmin friends and supporters despite his
bitter opposition to “Brahmanism”.
However, student politics within the campus is altogether a
different issue. Allowing student bodies to conduct discussions and debates
should not facilitate political party propaganda or caste and communal
divisions through these bodies. The ban can be justified only if it is a
strategy for cleansing it of politics and not for silencing debates. Even
radical thoughts have a place in society as long as they do not encourage
violence and militancy.
At the same time, student bodies must work within their
limits and conform to the norms and guard against falling in the trap of
political parties ever present to extend their sphere of influence. It means
that students, while discussing even hot politics in the campus, should keep
cool and steer clear of party animosities and social disparities, and assume an
academic interest and posture. The debates should promote political education,
and exchange of views, and not drive a wedge within the student community.
Recall in May 2003, a Division Bench of the Kerala High
Court upheld the right of college management to prohibit political activities
within the campus and to forbid students from organizing or attending meetings
other than official ones. It held that the ban would not violate freedom of
speech or freedom to form association guaranteed in the Constitution.
In December 2006, the High Court again banned all forms of
campus politics and ruled that student unions have no place at all in academic
campuses. In April 2014, Kerala Government informed the Kerala High Court that
it proposed to ban political activities altogether in colleges and also student
unions without the permission of the Principal.
Yes. Colleges should have the power to permit and regulate
the activities of student bodies. All over the world, there is an awakening
particularly among youth to local, regional, national, and global situations.
It is neither possible nor desirable to stifle any opinion or activity that is non-violent.
Student bodies must be allowed as long as they do not harm the academic
atmosphere and intrude into the space of fellow students and the staff.
Traditionally, students of science and technology and
professional courses are said to be averse to extra-academic activities unlike
students of arts and humanities. But, this is no longer true. Students do form a community but sharply
divided on political thinking. In this atmosphere, student activities can only
be regulated and not banned. ---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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