Mumbai: General secretaries of the official student council at IIT-Bombay have distanced themselves from the ongoing protest near the main gate of the Powai campus, stating that the 10-12 protesting students do not represent the student community. The protesting students, however, questioned the council’s independence and said they would continue with the protest.
Student protests began on the IIT-Bombay campus on the night of Sept 18, hours after 20-year-old BTech student Sahil Wakode died by suicide. While most students stopped protesting after the institute held an open house on Sept 21 and gave assurances to look into their demands, a group continued their agitation near the main gate and later began a relay hunger strike.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the general secretaries of the student council, while respecting the protesters’ right to protest, said that the 10-12 students agitating at the main gate do not represent the wider IIT-Bombay student community. Claiming that some of the protesting students have affiliations with external vested interest entities, they said, “...Their affiliations are their democratic right, but they do not give this small group a mandate to speak on behalf of thousands of IIT-Bombay students,” the statement said.
It said 18 demands were finalised by 50 student representatives based on concerns raised by over 1,000 students and these were shared with the institute on Sept 20. The institute expressed its intent to act on them, it added. The continuing protest was affecting thousands of students not participating in it, many of whom had classes, exams, research and placements, it said.
The statement added that students are actively and constructively working with the administration on institutional reforms arising from the situation. “Student representatives are engaging with relevant authorities, identifying concerns and working towards practical changes. This constructive engagement is an important part of the student response and should not be overshadowed by the action of a small group,” it added.
The protesting students, some of them from the humanities stream, however, reiterated that their protests have been peaceful and are not disrupting daily functioning of the institute. They claimed the IIT administration has failed to release the implementation plan for the demands within the stipulated timeline.
They alleged that the student council is not an independent body but embedded within the administration, making it structurally vulnerable to influence.
