The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Ashoka university issues warning to protesting students: Will act against those intimidating others
EVEN AS Ashoka University students continued their protests demanding a caste census on campus and reservation, the varsity authorities have warned them of disciplinary procedures in case of “actions that make the atmosphere intimidating, threatening or hostile to individuals”.
This came after several videos showing a section of students allegedly sloganeering“Br ah min ba ni yaw a adm ur dab ad” surfaced on social media, even days after the university agreed to set up an 'Equal Opportunity' cell in response to the students' protest.
Ashoka University, in an official statement posted on X, said: “Ashoka University attached great value to freedom of expression and vigorous debate, but it also attached great importance to mutual respect. The university deplores expressions of hatred directed against any individual or group. Ashoka University’s guidelines on protecting the freedom of expression have clearly laid down that such freedom...is not unlimited and enjoins respect for the rights and sensibilities of others. this is essential to preserving the spirit of community at Ashoka.”
“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,” read the statement posted on Wednesday evening.
The Indian Express reported on Wednesday about the push by Social Justice Forum (SJF), an independent student body, for a caste census and reservation in the university. After this, the university agreed to set up an ‘equal opportunity’ cell.
With regard to the sloganeering on campus, the SJF, in its statement, said, “The NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) data provided on Ashoka University’s official website depicts a severe underrepresentation across SC-ST-OBC students as opposed to their proportion in the national population. However, the university has been advertising itself as diverse and inclusive from its inception.”
“Recently, there have been attempts by right-wing social media handles to distort and divert the motivation of the protest by picking up certain slogans and painting them as vindictive towards an individual community… The most misread slog: “Brahminvaad Murdabad”- “End to Brahminism”, in reality, is a cry to dismantle the systemic impulses that enable the discriminatory caste system prevalent in India. There is no hatred in this call, it criticises the ideology that sustains casteist foundations and practices. This bias extends beyond Brahmins and can be located across the practices of the castes and classes….” it added.
The SJF further urged the university to dispense with this bias it bears towards specific communities and follow through on the holistic, fair and just admissions process they promise. “We demand that Ashoka with urgency apply reservation targets within its admission process, alongside our aforementioned demands for an annual caste census, an annual Ambedkar memorial lecture and reforms to the late fee payment system,” it added.