Fraternity Movement slams detention of TISS students over G N Saibaba's death anniversary event

Fraternity Movement, a student group, has condemned the actions of the Mumbai police who detained the students of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) for holding an event to mark the death anniversary of G N Saibaba. The police not only disrupted the event but also seized students' laptops and phones, highlighting the growing crackdown on democratic expression in academic spaces.

According to the official Fraternity Movement statement, the detained students have been charged with offenses such as ‘causing prejudice to the nation’ and ‘promoting enmity between groups,’ among other charges that are completely baseless and arbitrary.

These actions of police violate basic constitutional rights and are yet another attempt to silence students who speak out or question authority in universities. Taking away students' personal belongings and treating dissent as a crime shows how an atmosphere of fear is being created on campuses.

This incident should be seen as part of a pattern, following the recent targeting of students at English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) Hyderabad by the authorities. The move shows a wider trend of trying to suppress dissent in Indian universities.

EFLU students were allegedly attacked by ABVP while they were protesting against Israel's actions and expressing solidarity with Palestinian victims.

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TISS Mumbai: FIR against 10 students

According to the reports, the city police have registered a case against 10 students for allegedly holding an event to mark the death anniversary of former University of Delhi (DU) professor Saibaba on the TISS campus.

The police officials said that the students had not taken permission from the authorities to hold the event. The accused also raised slogans in support of former JNU students Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid, who are currently behind bars in a Delhi riots case.

Saibaba was arrested in a case related to alleged Maoist links but was acquitted by the Bombay High Court in 2024. He passed away on October 12 last year.

“We unequivocally condemn this authoritarian assault on thought, expression, and solidarity by the state machinery. Fraternity Movement stands in unwavering solidarity with the detained students and demands the immediate withdrawal of all fabricated charges against them,” the official Fraternity Movement statement said.

Earlier in April IISER Pune canceled the ‘Mukti Parv’ event planned to mark the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar. The decision was taken after Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) claimed several Maoist links of speakers referred to as 'Tukde Tukde gang', had been invited for the event.