When external parties and activists hijack issues that should be addressed internally and solutions sought, the toxicity of social media takes a toll on every one. It should also be noted that students are also slowly understanding this.

In the midst of these, another charade happens right within IIT Madras. The controversial APSC makes a post demanding, among other things, that the faculty whose name appeared as “responsible” for Fathima’s death be told to go on long leave.

The name of that faculty happened to be Dr. Sudarshan Padmanabhan, whom they associate with Hindutva, though he is more accurately a classical liberal at the centre-right.

Only hours later, when their faculty advisor, Dr. Milind’s name comes out, they tone down their demands and drop the long leave part.

How radical was that move, comrades? Apparently, one group of students conducted a protest march which involved gherao of the director, as this video proudly claims. And one wonders, when did civility become a bad virtue in my institute?

IIT Madras has already come up with a statement. Fathima’s suicide should provoke a discussion on mental health issues prevalent in IIT Madras and similar campuses.

Let it also be noted that this author does not take a stand that there have not been cases of harassment of students by faculty or their colleagues for any number of reasons including caste, religion, region, language or gender.

However, to paint a picture that all of those are the result of institutionalised discriminatory practices is not only wrong but also dishonest.

The worst kind of narrative building is the one done by insulating the creator from the burden of proof.

The kind that proclaims you guilty without trial for the mere act of expressing doubt. Throughout this social media circus, a certain kind of deliberate and shallow argumentation, for which proof cannot be asked, lest one be tagged as some horrible being, was seen as ubiquitous.

It is a political charade and in the final analysis, complete nonsense. Why do we see the same pattern being repeated time and again?

Being a realist, this author believes that nonsense is inevitable.

But as a nation, we should have a public debate to ensure that even nonsenses have an expiry date, lest our public institutions be taken on ransom by such vested interests.

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