US' MIT expels Indian-origin student over Palestine essay, sparks furore
An Indian-origin student, pursuing doctoral studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, has been expelled for writing a pro-palestine essay.
The student, Prahlad Iyengar, was pursuing a PhD from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Following his expulsion by the prestigious institute, his five-year National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship will be stopped now.
MIT has even barred Iyengar from entering the premises over the essay, which he wrote for the college magazine last month.
The institute found the essay to be provocative and with the potential to incite violence.
The multidisciplinary magazine 'Written Revolution' in which the student contributed the essay has been banned too.
Iyengar's essay titled 'On Pacifism' argues that pacifist tactics might not be the best recourse for Palestine.
The essay reportedly features a logo of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a terrorist organisation as per the US State Department.
Iyengar, however, said that terrorism charges against him were levelled due to the photos published in the essay which were not provided by him.
"The administration accuses me of supporting 'terrorism' because the edition in which my article appears includes images of posters from the Popular Front for the Liberation and of containing violent imagery in the publication," his statement said, which was shared by his lawyer Eric Lee on X.
According to the college, the essay bore language that "could be interpreted as a call for more violent or destructive forms of protests at MIT".
The MIT Dean of Student Life, David Warren Randall emailed this to the magazine's editors.
Iyengar, who has alleged American college campuses of restricting freedom of speech, was suspended once last year over his pro-Palestine demonstrations.
The MIT Coalition Against Apartheid has initiated a protest against MIT's decision.
"Prahlad is now appealing his case with the Chancellor to reduce the unjust sanctions against him. We have launched a campaign to put pressure on MIT's administration to stop criminalising students who stand on the right side of history. We call on all organisations and institutions of conscience to sign up and stand up to MIT's repression," said the coalition in a statement.
🚨🚨 MIT is effectively expelling PhD student Prahlad Iyengar for Palestine activism on campus. 🚨🚨
— MIT Coalition Against Apartheid (@mit_caa) December 8, 2024
EMERGENCY RALLY: Cambridge City Hall, Monday, 12/9 at 5:30pm. Org sign-on to letter: https://t.co/tCOrOLTeNy pic.twitter.com/7cAYrvn5ad
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