November 18th 2023.
The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay has recently released a set of guidelines that restrict students from engaging in ‘political’ activities on campus. In response, the student group Ambedkar, Periyar, Phule study circle (APPSC) has issued a statement on Instagram in opposition to the new guidelines.
The post condemned the administration’s move to make the campus apolitical. It stated that the guidelines have reduced students to “apolitical masses who should not be concerned with society.”
The guidelines come in the wake of two contentious events on the IIT-B campus related to the ongoing violence in the Middle East. A documentary screening and virtual talk by Sudhanva Deshpande was widely criticized for promoting violence and armed conflict, while a lecture by writer Achin Vanaik was cancelled after he was called a ‘Hamas supporter’ on social media. This drew criticism from a section of students, who claimed that their academic freedom was being infringed upon by the institute.
The APPSC’s response to the new guidelines has been clear. In their post, they stated that they refuse to abide by the new regulations set forth by IIT-B. The institute has yet to respond to this statement. However, the guidelines remain in effect, and it is unclear how the student group will respond in the future.
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