Kolkata ISI Students Organise Rallies and Posters to Promote Inclusiveness Following Hateful Graffiti

In response to hateful graffiti at the Indian Statistical Institute, students and researchers organised rallies and displayed posters advocating for inclusiveness and unity. They condemned the messages targeting a specific community and called for action against the perpetrators.

Posters and rallies were organised by students and researchers at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) to protest against hateful graffiti targeting a specific community. These messages appeared on campus shortly after a blast near Delhi's Red Fort, which resulted in 13 fatalities. The graffiti included derogatory remarks directed at a particular community, sparking outrage among the ISI community.

One of the offensive messages was found near the men's hostel, with words naming a community prefixed to "dogs shouldn't enter the premises." A similar message was discovered on a nearby wall. In response, ISI students displayed posters with messages like "no place for religious bigots" and emphasised inclusivity regardless of religion, gender, caste, or creed.

ISI Community's Response to Hate Messages

Ranvir Kumar, a researcher at ISI, stated, "We also took out a rally inside the campus on Friday against the attempts in some quarters to sully the image of ISI, an institution upholding the spirit of pluralism, secularism and unity in diversity." Faculty members joined students and researchers in this demonstration to express their disapproval of the graffiti.

The ISI community has called for strict action against those responsible for these hate messages. They demand accountability and measures to prevent such incidents from recurring. The institute's director, Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay, condemned the act and reaffirmed ISI's commitment to pluralistic values and academic excellence.

Institutional Measures and Future Actions

Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay stated that efforts are underway to identify those involved in writing the graffiti. "We are working to find the individual or group involved in the act. After the semester exams are over, we will take whatever remedial measures are needed, including counselling of those found to be involved," she said. This approach aims to address both accountability and rehabilitation.

The incident has highlighted ISI's dedication to maintaining an inclusive environment free from discrimination based on gender, religion, or language. The institute remains committed to fostering a culture of diversity and unity among its members.

With inputs from PTI