Credit: iitm.ac.in

The IIT-Madras administration, after coming in for severe criticism, has reinstated that Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle. The members of the group met with the Dean to explain that the guidelines they were accused of violating had been notified four days after their controversial meeting. The group, which was de-recognized on a direction of the HRD Ministry after an anonymous complaint that alleged that the group was criticizing the government and its policies, has expressed satisfaction that the matter “has been closed.”

An official release from IIT-Madras said, “the dean of students reinstated the recognition of APSC as an independent student body and after consultation with the APSC representatives, recommended professor Milind Brahme as the faculty advisor. Professor Brahme has consented to advise APSC as required in the guidelines for independent student bodies,”

Meanwhile, RSS mouthpiece ‘The Organiser’ has published an editorial justifying the de-recognition of the group, claiming that Indian universities had become centers of Anti-Hindu, Anti-India thought, and are inflicted with “red ideology” that must be dealt with by the administrations.

“Recent issues of administrative disciplinary action against the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle (APSC) in IIT-Madras and Rahul Gandhi visiting Ambedkar’s birth memorial are similar attempts to mask great nationalist reformers like Babasaheb with Communist garb of class divisions or the Congress’ way of votebank politics,” the editorial said.

On the other hand, the Central Executive Committee of the Student Federation of India has come out with a statement welcoming the decision of the institution. The release said that the decision “has come in the wake of protests of various democratic sections across the country. It should be a lesson for the RSS-BJP that the authoritarian attempts to curb voices of dissent won’t be tolerated by the people of this country.” The statement also said that the student body would use the momentum provided by this incident to increase awareness regarding issues of democratic rights on campuses, and caste discrimination and alienation in the institutions of higher education in the country.