Students halt stir after Ashoka University agrees to socioeconomic survey
Following a 16day protest by students calling for wider caste representation, the Ashoka University administration on Friday agreed to fulfil certain demands raised by the protesters, including the creation of a panel that will hold annual lectures on themes of social justice and conduct a socioeconomic survey.
The protest — led by the Social Justice Forum (SJF), a forum founded by Scheduled Castes, Scheduled
Tribes, Muslims and Kashmiri students — has since been temporarily suspended, but protesting students say that “dialogue will continue” regarding their remaining demands.
The students had, on March 20, launched the protest over the call for a caste census on campus, reservation in admissions, and an annual Ambedkar Memorial Lecture on themes of social justice.
The issue made headlines last week, after purported videos of the protesters surfaced on social media, where they could be seen raising castebased slogans. The university at the time had condemned their actions, saying it “deplores expressions of hatred directed against any individual or group”.
Exchange of ideas
However, on Friday, a university statement said that the administration had engaged in conversations with various student groups, faculty, and administrators on matters of “diversity, inclusion, and sensitisation”.
“One of the measures emerging from these conversations is an Equal Opportunity Cell (EOC) having representatives from faculty, students and administrative staff. Among the activities of the EOC are a lecture on themes on social justice and a socioeconomic survey, details of which are yet to be firmed up.”
The students also received an email at 8 p.m. on Thursday from the Pro ViceChancellor’s office, stating that the EOC would be constituted in the coming week, and that the survey would be rolled out under its aegis. “The processes dealing with timely fee payment will be refined and shared with students, and a helpdesk established to assist them with their queries and concerns,” the email added.
‘Unfair fee policy’ Students had earlier highlighted that the fee payment policy was “too stringent”. “We have sent proposals to the administration regarding affirmative action and financial assistance to increase the representation of marginalised communities on campus, and we have been assured that the socioeconomic survey will include a caste component,” a student told The Hindu on the condition of anonymity.