Over the yrs, TISS has seen clashes between students & admin over political activity, fee hikes. But TISS management says every student continues to have a voice in decision-making process.
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The problem with all Social Science (Humanities) dept. in India is they are all taken over by MARXIST and borderline intellectual Maoist Naxalites…Everyone with a slight liberal or conservative or right liberal views are hounded out of campus using students to throw eggs on the doors and threatening the family of professors and mentally torturing the scholars…But for the first time a space was given to Right wing intellectuals earlier they were suspended from jobs…That so the reason we have no RW intellectuals because they are systematically crushed and disenfranchised from academia and that’s how we ended up with Internet trolls instead of proper RW intellectuals…Now Indian academia need a mix of both RW and Left…but more support be needed to RW intellectuals
Prof. Sanobar is lying. TISS never encouraged teachers across ideologies to be a part of the institute. TISS was reserved only for those who affiliated with some form of Communist ideology. The ideological debates were not between adherents of different ideologies but between adherents of different shades of the same ideology, i.e., Communism.
For example, there would be vigorous debates on Maoism vs Leninism, Stalin vs Trotsky, etc.
A substantial number of Socialists, inspired by JP and Lohia, were there too.
But there was zero representation from the other end of the political spectrum. One could never find a free market champion, a capitalist, a right-wing ideologue or even a social/political conservative on campus.
It was an institution by the Left, of the Left and for the Left. And everyone had to fall in line. No academic freedom was granted back in my times too. If you did not subscribe to some form of Marxism, you were bullied and harassed mercilessly by the professors.
My own thesis proposal (on the effect of globalisation on the traditional handloom industry with a particular reference to Bengal) was rejected. Why? Because it was too pro-capitalist and pro-free market.
My years at the institute were miserable as I consistently had to yield to the frivolous demands of the faculty who would brook no dissent. Even in case of individual political choices and preferences, I was forced to align with the hegemonic Leftist narrative on campus. Otherwise, I would not have graduated with a PhD.
Others who did not yield were cornered into a situation where they had no choice but to leave the institution without finishing their degree.
A social work institution has to be politicised. Otherwise it can’t stand with the underprivileged and vulnerable groups and against the exploitative agencies.
I agree with the author about the watered down version of TISS of the 80s and 90s. But I don’t agree about the reasons for the same. Conflicts between TISS administration and students have always been there. But that was exactly what a social work institution should do. Encourage freedom of thought and expression and challenge authorities’ whose policies were against the common people, especially the marginalised sections. However, TISS saw an exponential increase in courses and some did not converge well with social work ethos. This changed the whole atmosphere, from studying in a free environment to merely using TISS degree for career growth. The rapid expansion of TISS made it exceedingly dependable on government funds. While TISS had always worked closely with government agencies, provide excellent training to bureaucrats, actively participated in disaster and emergency situations, it’s independent way of thinking was rarely compromised. Thanks to the strong willed faculty and unshakeable social work ethics. But the change in central government’s understanding of the role of NGOs and civil society in development and social change and its strategic strangulation by bureaucratic red tape has been the root cause of the disintegration of TISS. This has led to increased conflicts with students over fees and fellowships. Faculty with mere PhDs and zero social work experience has meant just teaching and not mentoring. Now some units are not even paying 18000/month to their social workers. Since I have worked on a number of TISS projects since late 80s till 2014, I felt I should share my thoughts on this serious issue of degeneration of academic institutions, one of them being TISS
This article is a joke!
Have had friends who studied at TISS. Know the situation quite intimately.
Everything works out fine for you if you subscribe to Left-wing ideology. If you don’t, you have to deal with all kinds of harassment. The professors, fellow students and even the administration is out to crucify you.
Ms. Sanobar’s case w.r.t to the essay on the UCC illustrates the issue quite well. She did not agree with the views of the student but was “large hearted” enough to give him good grades. Such prejudice is the reason why good students no longer aspire to get into TISS. The professors are Marxists to their bones with a very prejudiced view of the world. Unless one agrees with them, they make life tough. Very few have the “large heartedness” of Ms. Sanobar to give good grades to a student who disagrees.
Education is totally politicised at TISS and the professors are always looking to indoctrinate young minds. Academics and research is of least concern to them.
This article rather seems like an attempt by these very Left wing elements to lament the loss of freedom they have had for so long. Freedom which they abused thoroughly to turn a very prestigious institute into a hub for Left-wing propaganda and indoctrination.
Room for dissent and debate at TISS Mumbai? What a joke!
Anyone who did not conform to some shade of Marxist ideology was treated as a pariah. The professors bullied and harassed even those who were staunchly apolitical. Their focus was less on research/academics and more on ideological indoctrination. If a student refused to acquisce (like myself and a few others), he was subjected to various forms of harassment by the faculty.
I speak from experience having completed MA (Development Economics) in 2015.
Stop the disinformation campaign, Ms. Purva Chitnis!
TISS was never an “intellectual hub”. It was just a safehouse for Marxists of various hues and shades to brainwash young people into joining the “movement”. With full patronage from the Congress govts of the past, the Marxists successfully turned it into a centre for radicalisation and propaganda machine.
This course correction was overdue.
The problem with all Social Science (Humanities) dept. in India is they are all taken over by MARXIST and borderline intellectual Maoist Naxalites…Everyone with a slight liberal or conservative or right liberal views are hounded out of campus using students to throw eggs on the doors and threatening the family of professors and mentally torturing the scholars…But for the first time a space was given to Right wing intellectuals earlier they were suspended from jobs…That so the reason we have no RW intellectuals because they are systematically crushed and disenfranchised from academia and that’s how we ended up with Internet trolls instead of proper RW intellectuals…Now Indian academia need a mix of both RW and Left…but more support be needed to RW intellectuals
Prof. Sanobar is lying. TISS never encouraged teachers across ideologies to be a part of the institute. TISS was reserved only for those who affiliated with some form of Communist ideology. The ideological debates were not between adherents of different ideologies but between adherents of different shades of the same ideology, i.e., Communism.
For example, there would be vigorous debates on Maoism vs Leninism, Stalin vs Trotsky, etc.
A substantial number of Socialists, inspired by JP and Lohia, were there too.
But there was zero representation from the other end of the political spectrum. One could never find a free market champion, a capitalist, a right-wing ideologue or even a social/political conservative on campus.
It was an institution by the Left, of the Left and for the Left. And everyone had to fall in line. No academic freedom was granted back in my times too. If you did not subscribe to some form of Marxism, you were bullied and harassed mercilessly by the professors.
My own thesis proposal (on the effect of globalisation on the traditional handloom industry with a particular reference to Bengal) was rejected. Why? Because it was too pro-capitalist and pro-free market.
My years at the institute were miserable as I consistently had to yield to the frivolous demands of the faculty who would brook no dissent. Even in case of individual political choices and preferences, I was forced to align with the hegemonic Leftist narrative on campus. Otherwise, I would not have graduated with a PhD.
Others who did not yield were cornered into a situation where they had no choice but to leave the institution without finishing their degree.
A social work institution has to be politicised. Otherwise it can’t stand with the underprivileged and vulnerable groups and against the exploitative agencies.
I agree with the author about the watered down version of TISS of the 80s and 90s. But I don’t agree about the reasons for the same. Conflicts between TISS administration and students have always been there. But that was exactly what a social work institution should do. Encourage freedom of thought and expression and challenge authorities’ whose policies were against the common people, especially the marginalised sections. However, TISS saw an exponential increase in courses and some did not converge well with social work ethos. This changed the whole atmosphere, from studying in a free environment to merely using TISS degree for career growth. The rapid expansion of TISS made it exceedingly dependable on government funds. While TISS had always worked closely with government agencies, provide excellent training to bureaucrats, actively participated in disaster and emergency situations, it’s independent way of thinking was rarely compromised. Thanks to the strong willed faculty and unshakeable social work ethics. But the change in central government’s understanding of the role of NGOs and civil society in development and social change and its strategic strangulation by bureaucratic red tape has been the root cause of the disintegration of TISS. This has led to increased conflicts with students over fees and fellowships. Faculty with mere PhDs and zero social work experience has meant just teaching and not mentoring. Now some units are not even paying 18000/month to their social workers. Since I have worked on a number of TISS projects since late 80s till 2014, I felt I should share my thoughts on this serious issue of degeneration of academic institutions, one of them being TISS
This article is a joke!
Have had friends who studied at TISS. Know the situation quite intimately.
Everything works out fine for you if you subscribe to Left-wing ideology. If you don’t, you have to deal with all kinds of harassment. The professors, fellow students and even the administration is out to crucify you.
Ms. Sanobar’s case w.r.t to the essay on the UCC illustrates the issue quite well. She did not agree with the views of the student but was “large hearted” enough to give him good grades. Such prejudice is the reason why good students no longer aspire to get into TISS. The professors are Marxists to their bones with a very prejudiced view of the world. Unless one agrees with them, they make life tough. Very few have the “large heartedness” of Ms. Sanobar to give good grades to a student who disagrees.
Education is totally politicised at TISS and the professors are always looking to indoctrinate young minds. Academics and research is of least concern to them.
This article rather seems like an attempt by these very Left wing elements to lament the loss of freedom they have had for so long. Freedom which they abused thoroughly to turn a very prestigious institute into a hub for Left-wing propaganda and indoctrination.
Room for dissent and debate at TISS Mumbai? What a joke!
Anyone who did not conform to some shade of Marxist ideology was treated as a pariah. The professors bullied and harassed even those who were staunchly apolitical. Their focus was less on research/academics and more on ideological indoctrination. If a student refused to acquisce (like myself and a few others), he was subjected to various forms of harassment by the faculty.
I speak from experience having completed MA (Development Economics) in 2015.
Stop the disinformation campaign, Ms. Purva Chitnis!
TISS was never an “intellectual hub”. It was just a safehouse for Marxists of various hues and shades to brainwash young people into joining the “movement”. With full patronage from the Congress govts of the past, the Marxists successfully turned it into a centre for radicalisation and propaganda machine.
This course correction was overdue.