After a day’s protest, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) on Wednesday granted permission for the Bhagat Singh Memorial Lecture (BSML) scheduled on Thursday, but with a condition that no external speakers will be allowed. Miffed by the condition, the Progressive Students Forum (PSF) at the TISS continued its protest for the second night in a row. The students had invited human rights activist and author Harsh Mander, and president of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) Aishe Ghosh, to deliver lectures for the fifth BSML to be held on the 92nd death anniversary of the revolutionary. Ramadas Prini Sivanandan, from PSF, said, “After our persistence, the institute finally responded formally. Even as BSML has been allowed to be held, it is with the condition that no external resource persons/participants will be allowed. This means no permission for Harsh Mander, Aishe and anyone else. All other lectures are happening with speakers but only BSML remains without any speaker. The idea behind the memorial lecture is to invite known figures and students debating with them. The institute is stopping it.” Adding that the students will continue the protest on Wednesday night, he continued, “The administration decided to censor all exhibition material on Bhagat Singh, which is a first in the history of TISS.” Members of the PSF, along with the organising committee for the BSML, had held a protest outside the institute director’s bungalow late on Tuesday because the administration had not granted permission for BSML. The protesting students had pointed out that the institute had denied permission for the event despite this being the fifth year of BSML. They had also said that the institute had verbally denied permission for the event but there was no official communication by the administration in writing. However, an official from TISS told The Indian Express, “The organisers have not followed the procedures laid down for events in the campus. Under the laid down rules, events are organised through the students' union or a faculty takes responsibility and anchors it. Thus, necessary suggestions were shared with the students. The institute reserves its right to decline or suggest changes in the proposals in the best interest of the student community and the institute at large.”
