New Delhi: The Ambedkarite Students’ Association at TISS, Mumbai, has said that it was was forced to call off Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations on April 14 as the institute’s administration refused permission for journalist and activist Sujat Ambedkar to attend the event.

Sujat Ambedkar is Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s grandson and had confirmed his presence at the event. The TISS administration has claimed that it did not discriminate against a particular person but was against “outsiders” entering the campus for student events at this time.

TISS is Asia’s oldest institute for professional social work education and several of its students’ academic work has shaped modes of Indian governance and public policy.

Students of the ASA have alleged that they submitted the application for the event to TISS administration on April 8.

They have said that while the event was approved, administration told them that “outsiders” were not allowed in. Students have further added that no specific reason for this rule was given to them.

“Regarding the matter related to Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations, The institute has granted permission for the event and the only condition was that no outsiders are allowed. This has been communicated to the students representatives,” Banu said.

ASA members have asked how it was – if COVID-19 concerns prevented admin from green-lighting the guest – that “outsiders” have entered and attended functions at the campus in the last month itself.

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“Several ‘outsiders’ have entered the campus in previous weeks for the State of India Education Report Launch on April 6 and the Service Training Programme for 20 All India Service Officers on Social Policy and Governance from March 21-25. The authorities also approved Holi celebrations on campus grounds, a festival that viewed from the anti-caste perspective celebrates the burning of a Bahujan woman,” the ASA has alleged.

When asked about this claim, Banu said students “cannot equate student events with the mandated academic activity that a University is expected to conduct.” She added, “Moreover there are only a very few students in the campus and no students union is in place.”

Banu did not clarify whether COVID-19 was the only concern due to which the “no outsiders” rule had been put in place.

Students have said that appeals to the Dean of Student Affairs, Director and Registrar went unheard. “The administration refused to use his name in official communication, solely reiterating that no outsiders were to be allowed and not providing any reasons for such rules,” the ASA said.

Banu has sought to impress that there was no discrimination involved but an imposition of policy.

“That [the administration refusing to use Sujat Ambedkar’s name] is exactly the point, it is not about any individual, it’s about a process we follow across the board in the absence of a students’ union,” she said.

Non-teaching staff were disallowed from using the public quadrangle for celebrations and instead allotted a secluded classroom, the students have alleged. The dean of students’ affairs has professed no knowledge of such a dictum.

The ASA has called the admin’s move to deny permission to Ambedkar “deeply humiliating, discriminatory and casteist” and one that goes “against the entire Dalit community.”

“We the students from marginalised communities think that to not allow Dr. Ambedkar’s family member on campus is a modern form of untouchability being practised,” they said.