Protesting students issue new statement saying the strike would continue till the administration fulfills all their demands
The students' union protest has entered its 19th day
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As the students' union protest at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) entered its 19th day, what has become the main point of concern for most on the campus is how much the chaos would affect the examination scheduled to start this week. While one group of students has called off the strike, another part of the union issued a new statement on Sunday mentioning that they would continue with the dharna at the main gate of the institute till the administration met all their demands.
Exam time
According to sources, what remains to be seen at the moment is how this uncertainty would affect the academic calendar of the institute, as the protesting students would not only have to appear for the examinations, but would also have to work on their research projects.
Speaking to mid-day, Archana Soren, president of the students' union, who has called off the strike, said, "Even though the strike continues, there is no change in the examination schedule. As most of those who are protesting are research students, they won't have to appear for the examination. And those who are pursuing Masters will appear for the exam even as the protest continues. However, research projects and dissertation submission deadlines have been extended."
When asked whether the students' union was trying to talk to those who are still on dharna, she said, "Opinions cannot be forced on anyone. A continuous dialogue is happening between the administration and the protesting students to normalise the situation."
Fight for social justice continues
Meanwhile, the protesting students issued a new statement declaring that the strike would continue, as whatever has been proposed by the administration was unacceptable. "We feel that the institute is not understanding the crisis students are going through. Hence, we are left with no option but to continue the strike till our demands are met. We are at a very crucial juncture, as the administration is slowly giving in to our demands. It's very important to keep the movement going so as to maintain pressure on the authorities. We request students to join the protest in whatever way they can. The struggle for social justice is a long one and needs to be fought with determination. We request everyone to rise above divisions and make an attempt to address the problems related to scholarships and fee hike at the national as well as local level," read the statement.
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