After two-year gap due to pandemic, TISS elects new students’ union

Pratik Permey, a tribal student activist who is a member of the queer community, has been elected as president of the students’ union.

With the victory of its hijab-clad candidate Nidha Parveen to the post of the student union’s vice-president, the Fraternity Movement, the students’ wing of Welfare Party of India, has shown its presence in Maharashtra. Till now, the Fraternity Movement had its representatives in the executive student bodies of educational institutions in Kerala and Delhi.

Permey, who is gender fluid, shared, “My decision to contest comes from the realisation of taking a stand. Coming from the intersections of marginalised communities as a tribal, queer and native of North East, I am the voice of the marginalised. I too have felt ignored whenever I have raised issues such as having gender-neutral toilets on campus. As my vision is to make the TISS campus more inclusive and create a peaceful environment, I will work towards empowering others from the marginalised sections of society to raise their voice.”

Permey is a second-year student of MA in Social Work, with specialisation in public health.

According to students from the Deonar campus of the prestigious social science institute, as the academic year has begun in the conventional mode, this year is going to be crucial for the union. Multiple students’ issues remain unresolved as TISS has had no student body for the past two years due to the pandemic.

“At a time like this, it is a victory of oppressed unity. Like me, others on the panel are representing various marginalised communities. Our vision is to provide safe space for all,” said Nidha, who is from Kerala and is pursuing second-year Master of Arts in Social Work, in Criminology and Justice.