TISS restricts campus protests ahead of Ayodhya temple consecration

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai has cautioned students against organizing protests on campus related to the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya scheduled for January 22, as reported by The Indian Express.

The institute issued a notice on January 18, warning students that law enforcement authorities would take action against those participating in any protests. The move, according to an unidentified official, aims to "maintain a peaceful environment on campus of the academic institution."

Simultaneously, the institute announced the suspension of events such as lectures and seminars on campus, stating that guidelines for organizing such activities would be reframed. The notice mentioned the need to "facilitate an inclusive participatory environment" and indicated that all dialogues, debates, and events were temporarily suspended until the guidelines were revised.

Reacting to the notices, a student body known as Fraternity TISS criticized the move, arguing that the institute's actions were arbitrary since no protests had been announced against the consecration. The group expressed concern over the construction of the temple on the site of the demolished Babri Masjid, describing the January 22 event as a "victory event" symbolizing an "Islamophobic and violent anti-Muslim campaign."

Meanwhile, at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, a banner listing various events preceding the temple consecration has been displayed on campus. These events, including a Shri Ram Darbar Shobhayatra (procession) and the live telecast of the ceremony on January 22, were not officially sanctioned, according to authorities.

Responding to the events at IIT-Bombay, the Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle, a student collective, criticized the institute for allegedly "crawling in front of Hindutva political forces" and accused it of abandoning secularism.