The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Monday raised its voice in support of its ideological rival ‘Progressive Students Forum’ (PSF) at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and said the institute’s decision to ban the left-wing outfit PSF was ‘irrational’. The ABVP said educational institutions should be bastions of freedom of expression and democratic activities.
The ABVP on Thursday said the “sudden and irrational” ban on student group PSF was likely to cause widespread unrest among such organisations. The ABVP said such a move would seriously impact the sanctity of future student council elections, which are the cornerstone of the democratic process.
TISS, a premier institute under the Union education ministry, had banned PSF on August 19, saying the organisation had been involved in activities that disrupted the functioning of the institute and tarnished its image. The ABVP said it firmly believes that educational institutions should be bastions of freedom of expression and democratic activities.
She said the presence of various student organisations is necessary to ensure representation of the diverse views of the student community. “The sudden and unjustified ban on student organisations at TISS is a direct attack on these principles,” said ABVP secretary Nidhi Gala.
Democratic Secular Students Forum (DSSF), the right-wing students’ wing of TISS, also said that banning the organisations on campus was an attack on the very core of what makes the premier institute a leading educational institution.