2023-11-19 09:05:40
The students said that the IIT Bombay authorities used a special team to threaten them once morest organizing a program in solidarity with the children of Gaza. Such action was taken on the next day when the students and teachers were instructed to refrain from organizing political events on the campus. The students said that security personnel inside the campus were used to threaten to cancel the program.
Student representatives said that on November 14, Children’s Day, a silent solidarity program was organized by a few students and teachers at the School of Management building. The program was organized to remember the children who were killed in the Israeli bombardment in Palestine. However, they alleged that the simple event, which was conducted only by lighting candles and hoisting posters, was disrupted by the use of security personnel.
A left-leaning student said that even before the program started, there were indications from the management to disrupt it. The presence of security personnel and police was identified. The student alleged that this was with the aim of stopping the solidarity meeting which had been planned earlier and had been informed by the authorities.
“The security officer of IIT Bombay arrived as the number of students who came to participate in the solidarity program increased. The children were very angrily asked to leave. Materials brought for poster making were seized and prior permission was demanded for such activities. “The institution was informed in advance that the program was being held,” said another student who did not disclose his name.
The students said that despite the efforts of the teachers and students to tell them that the event was being organized quietly and peacefully, the security officer did not listen and continued to behave rudely. The security officer asked the teachers to instruct the students to leave. Meanwhile, the IIT Bombay spokesperson declined to comment on the incident.
What led to this?
A group of right-wing students protested at IIT Bombay once morest a professor who organized an online debate on the Palestinian struggle once morest Israel. The students protested alleging that this was a program organized to glorify terrorism. Following this, institute director Subhasis Choudhary sent an e-mail message to students and teachers. In the mail, he raised concerns regarding students organizing protests.
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He said in the message that outsiders shouted slogans of ‘death to traitors’ but such actions were totally unacceptable. He also said that action will be taken once morest the students involved in such activities. Also, Chowdhury mentioned in the email that the institute will come up with guidelines for organizing events on campus.
However, the students came out once morest these guidelines. The students’ association said that their academic freedom cannot be taken away and they are going to come out with a statement once morest the guidelines issued. Even before the November 11 incident, several programs had been organized and sanctioned, but the institute canceled them at the last minute, said a student of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences.
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