Day after Ashoka University says it ‘deplores expressions of hatred’, students say their protests will continue

A day after Ashoka University threatened to act against students who allegedly raised casteist slogans on the campus as part of a weekold protest, the student group in the eye of the storm — Social Justice Forum — said it will continue protesting until its demands are met.

Between 70 and 80 university students are participating in the protest, which started on March 20. They are seeking a caste survey on the campus, reservation in admissions, and an annual event to discuss the theme of social justice.

On Tuesday, purported videos of the protestors surfaced on social media, where they could be seen raising casteist slogans.

The videos attracted backlash on social media, following which the university issued a statement on Wednesday, saying it “deplores expressions of hatred directed against any individual or group”.

It added, “Actions that make the atmosphere intimidating, threatening or hostile to individuals or groups are therefore regarded as serious offences and are subject to university disciplinary procedure. The university will take all measures necessary to ensure that peace and harmony on the campus is not disturbed.”

The university’s statement came a day after it said that it was actively working to create an Equal Opportunities Cell, whose role would include making recommendations on improving the prevailing practices and policies on inclusion, diversity, and sensitisation.

In response, the Social Justice Forum said its slogans were devoid of hatred and only criticised the “ideology that sustains casteist foundations and practices”.

A member of the group, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, “No administrative official has reached out to us about the disciplinary action or responded to our demands as yet.”

According to the data submitted by the university to the National Institutional Ranking Framework in 2023 accessed by The Hindu, only 6.8% of the students in undergraduate programmes belonged to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes. Moreover, only 6.32% students enrolled in oneyear postgraduate courses and 13.68% students enrolled in twoyear postgraduate courses belonged to the three socially disadvantaged groups.