PALLAVI SMART pallavi. smart@ mid- day. com THE teachersu2019 association of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences ( TISS) stood in solidarity with its students as they face the heat of the Mumbai Police. The association has formally issued an official statement of support condemning the sedition charges against Kris Chudawala, a student of TISS. The statement also requested support from the public at large against the constant attacks on the university.

The statement, which was issued on Saturday, called sedition an outdated law. The teachersu2019 association stood with its queer student, Chudawala, and termed the case against them a hate crime. The association claimed that a case had been filed against them on flimsy grounds, for slogans which were allegedly raised during a peaceful rally. The statement read, u201c The revealing of the identity of a young, trans student, who was only exercising their democratic right to protest, amounts to harassment and is tantamount to a hate crime.u201d The student community of TISS applauded their teachersu2019 move.