The Tata Institute of Social Sciences Teachers Association (TISSTA) has condemned the filing of a sedition case against Urvashi Chudawala, who identifies as Kris Chudawala, stating that the case has been registered on “flimsy grounds”. It said the TISS student was being made a scapegoat to undermine the institution.
“The scapegoating of TISS students participating in peaceful protests and whose actions had been taken completely out of context and twisted to suit a predetermined agenda, is part of a larger attempt to undermine an academic institution that stands for Constitutional values and social justice,” the statement said.
It also condemned the use of the sedition law as a political tool to suppress peaceful protests, saying the law was “outdated” and “colonial” and its use neither justifiable nor legally tenable.
The association also criticised sections of the media for its portrayal of the issue, calling it a trial by media. “Kris has been maliciously projected as a traitor to the nation, firstly by politically motivated individuals on social media, and then amplified by some sections of the mainstream media; we condemn this vicious trial by media, that seeks to destroy the reputation and future prospects of our student.”
According to TISSTA, revealing the name of the young trans student amounted to harassment and was “tantamount to a hate crime.” The student, who was the only one named in the FIR for allegedly raising slogans in favour of Jawaharlal Nehru University student Sharjeel Imam, has approached the Bombay High Court seeking anticipatory bail after the sessions court rejected it on February 5.
The teachers’ association also highlighted that the institute had been serving the nation since Independence by providing skilled professionals in the social sector and contributing to the programmes and policies of the government. It said the institute’s contribution was being “systematically devalued by projecting it as a space that promotes activities that undermine the nation.”
“Nothing could be further from the truth and TISSTA expresses concern and condemnation of recent attempts by politically vested interests to defame an institution of excellence that has contributed to the well-being of the nation for 84 years,” the statement said.
Senior BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had recently said that a group of students from the institute were “radical leftists” and “urban naxals” and had been participating in protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
