Dissent Under Siege: Police action, suspensions, and the shrinking democratic space at TISS

Dissent and the power of two

I've done some good things in my life. But I also made a terrible mistake: I created Jeff Bezos. Addicted to convenience and low prices, I shoveled thousands and thousands of dollars onto Jeff Bezos's pile over the years. I count at least 60 Amazon purchases within eyeshot of my office chair, including more than 30 books, plant pots, art, frames, a whiteboard and markers, two lamps, my keyboard, mouse, and webcam, dog bed, dog collar, incense st…

Dissent Under Siege: Police action, suspensions, and the shrinking democratic space at TISS

In yet another worrying instance of shrinking democratic space within academic institutions, a peaceful protest held outside the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai on March 26, 2025 was met with swift police intervention and detentions. The protest, led by student groups and activists, was organised in response to the suspension of Dalit PhD scholar Ramdas Prini Sivanadan, whose case has drawn sharp criticism from academic and ci…