The students union of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has demanded that the FIR against student Kris Chudawala and others be dropped and condemned the “maligning of the institute and its students who participated in protests”.
“On February 2, 2020, an FIR with charges of sedition was lodged against TISS student Kris Chudawala for raising slogans at Azad Maidan during Mumbai Pride 2020. In a judgment of the Honourable Supreme Court, it is held that raising slogans cannot constitute sedition unless there is an implicit threat of violence. Using these charges to curb the dissenting voices of the oppressed is highly condemnable,” a statement by TISS Students’ Union said.
Sedition, an “outdated colonial law”, was continued to be used as a political tool against minorities, human rights defenders, civil rights activists and other dissenters, it alleged.
“By targeting one student and one institute, it is clear that this FIR is part of the systematic and continuous attacks on student voices across the country,” the statement said. It also condemned the sedition charges against Akhil Gogoi, JNU student Sharjeel Imam and the students of Shaheen School in Bidar.
It further stated that in the face of resistance, fascist forces in the country were trying to delegitimise struggles by questioning students’ nationalism and allegiance to the country. “In the same pride gathering, Kris also read out the Preamble of the Constitution of India, which was witnessed by all the people present in Azad Maidan on the day of Mumbai Pride 2020, thereby negating all claims of them being anti-national,” the statement said.