Dalit PhD scholar was suspended for ‘repetitive misconduct’, says TISS amid backlash
The Progressive Students’ Forum has alleged that Ramadas received a show cause notice from the institution objecting to his activism and social media post.
Dalit student and PhD scholar Ramadas Prini Sivanadan was suspended for two years due to “repetitive misconduct over a period of time”, said the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai on Saturday.
Ramadas, who is also a student leader, had received a show cause notice from the institution’s registrar on March 7 objecting to his activism, specifically his participation in the Parliament March in Delhi in January, the Progressive Students’ Forum alleged in a statement on Friday.
The forum claimed Ramadas’ social media post encouraging students to watch the documentary Ram Ke Naam as an “‘anti-national’ act” was also a cause of objection.
Ram Ke Naam is a National Film Award-winning 1992 documentary by filmmaker Anand Patwardhan about the campaign by Hindutva groups to build a Ram temple at the site of the erstwhile Babri mosque in Ayodhya.
On Saturday, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences said the backlash against Ramadas’ suspension on social media is “malicious propaganda”.
“Throughout his tenure, Ramadas KS exhibited a shift in focus towards activities unrelated to his academic pursuits, engaging in events, protests, and other activities influenced by personal political agendas,” the institute said. “Despite repeated verbal and written advisories from the TISS Administration to prioritise academic commitments, Ramadas KS failed to comply.”
The notice also listed various activities by Ramadas inside...
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