AMN
Under intense pressure from Dalit groups and human right activisted IIT-Madras finally decided to revoke the ban on the Ambedkar-Periyar Study Circle, APSC, on Sunday after a meeting between the Dalit students group and IIT director.
The institute also appointed a professor as APSC’s faculty advisor, bringing an end to the more than a week-long standoff.
“The Dean of Students reinstated the recognition of APSC as an independent student body, and after consultation with the APSC representatives, recommended Professor Milind Brahme as the Faculty Advisor,” an official release from IIT-M said.
Akhil, a member of APSC, said that the students body has been unconditonally recognized by IIT Madras and some of their demands have been met.
“Though it’s a milestone in the history of IITM which is reigned by brahmnic rules, our victory is just a step forward towards the fight against the brahmanic hegemony. Until we demolish this hegemony, it’s a bounded duty of all democratic forces to stand together. Hence we call upon a joint action in all our future endeavours,” said a statment of APSC
National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) had also criticised the de-recognition of APSC and said that it had invited the institute’s acting director, Professor K Ramamurthy as well as the HRD ministry to discuss how the problem could be resolved at the earliest.
IIT-Madras had de-recognised the APSC last month over an anonymous complaint to the Central government that it was trying to spread hatred towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies by distributing provocative pamphlets and posters in the campus, igniting a massive controversy.
The institute’s action had drawn criticism and protests from various organisations as well as political parties. Infact, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and HRD minister Smriti Irani had engaged in a war of words on Twitter on the issue.