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News18
30-04-2025
- Politics
- News18
'Organised By Students': Harvard Distances Itself From 'Pakistan Conference' Row After Pahalgam Attack
Harvard University, after a backlash, clarified that the 'Pakistan Conference 2025' was independently organised by students and not endorsed by donors or the administration. Days after organising the 'Pakistan Conference 2025' on April 27, Harvard University's South Asia Institute has distanced itself from the controversy that followed and asserted the conference was independently organised by the students and their faculty advisor. The University faced a backlash for organising the event just five days after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists on April 22. In a statement, Harvard University's South Asia Institute also extended its condolences to the victims of the attack. 'The Institute supports academic research projects and works with other university partners on multiple events throughout the academic year. One such event was 'The Pakistan Conference', organised by students from Harvard and held on April 27, 2025," the statement read. 'In accordance with our principles of operation, we did not consult any benefactor of the Institute regarding this conference. The students, along with their faculty advisor, independently determined the topics and speakers presenting," it added. 'We share the grief and anguish with our friends, colleagues, and loved ones in India who have been affected by the attack in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, and we offer our heartfelt condolences," the University stated. 'These acts of violence were not indiscriminate— they were calculated attacks based solely on religious identity," the letter by the students stated. 'While formally denying involvement, Pakistan's ministers and lawmakers have simultaneously issued aggressive warnings to India and reaffirmed their support for insurgent activity in Kashmir. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has even issued threats of retaliation, should India take any 'kinetic step' in response," the letter read. 'Welcoming representatives of a government that not only denies accountability for but also ideologically supports such religion-based terrorism, risks Harvard being complicit in legitimising those who enable or justify these crimes," the students wrote in the letter. 'We ask for the clarity, courage, and compassion for Hindu and Indian students grieving the targeted killing of members of their faith. We request you to take a stance against Hinduphobia," it read. 'We respectfully request that Harvard University: 1. Issue a public statement condemning the Pahalgam terror attacks and affirming support for victims of religion-based violence. 2. Review the participation of Pakistani officials at the Pakistan Conference 2025 in light of their government's ideological and rhetorical support for groups like LeT. 3. Provide emotional and institutional support to affected students through the Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging," the letter mentioned. 'This is not about political posturing. It is about moral clarity. Harvard must ensure its campus does not become a platform for whitewashing state-enabled religious terrorism," it concluded. STUDENTS SAY PAHALGAM ATTACK WAS 'TARGETED' Speaking to news agency ANI recently, Surabhi Tomar said, 'The horrible attack in Pahalgam was a targeted, religion-based massacre. When Harvard invites officials, especially officials who have ideologically justified such acts, it risks legitimising the state-backed terror narratives on our campus. This is the reason why we thought that we should take some action or ask people to take some action." Elaborating more on the event, Tomar said, 'It was a pre-planned event, and it was a coincidence. However, even given the coincidence, we do not think that it is correct for anyone, especially a university like Harvard, to legitimise such voices, especially when they in their country are trying to justify such acts and not condemning them." She further said that the students have urged US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to 'deny visas to officials who support terror-linked ideologies." 'We shouldn't stay silent after a faith-based killing, that is our belief. We consulted our peers. We received a great deal of support from students from 65 countries. We read the testimonies of survivors, and we acted on a shared moral obligation to speak out. We emphasised that this was not random violence. It was religious persecution," she said. 'We urged Harvard to stand against Hinduphobia and asked the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to deny visas to officials who support terror-linked ideologies," Tomar added. ALSO READ | Indian Army Northern Command Chief Ousted Over Pahalgam Attack? PIB Fact-Checks Pro-Pakistani Handles Another student, Rashmini Koparkar, expressed disappointment, stating that the guests at the event didn't condemn the Pahalgam attack and show sensitivity. 'We were expecting a certain degree of sensitivity and acknowledgement of what has happened. The event was pre-planned and already discussed. It was a coincidence that the event took place within five days. However, a more thoughtful gesture would have been preferable." 'First of all, they could have condemned the attacks. Secondly, the number of guests and the high-ranking officials that were arriving at this event were actually in question because this is a state which has been harbouring cross-border terrorism for years. India has been suffering," Koparkar said. THE PAHALGAM TERROR ATTACK On April 22, armed terrorists unleashed horror by opening fire at tourists in Kashmir's iconic Pahalgam. The wives and other relatives of those killed in the attack later revealed to the media that the terrorists asked the names and the faith of tourists before shooting them dead. They also reportedly asked those who said they belonged to the Muslim community to recite the Kalma. The terrorists shot dead those who said they were Hindus, and left their relatives, especially women, asking them to narrate the ordeal to the government. top videos View all The attack claimed the lives of 26 tourists, including one Nepali national. ALSO READ | PM Modi Chairs Cabinet Committee On Political Affairs Meet, First Since Pulwama Attack Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : Harvard University Pahalgam attack Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: April 30, 2025, 13:40 IST News world 'Organised By Students': Harvard Distances Itself From 'Pakistan Conference' Row After Pahalgam Attack
India.com
30-04-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Harvard Faces Student Backlash Over Pakistan Conference Amid Outrage Over Pahalgam Attack
Harvard University's South Asia Institute has been targeted by intense student criticism for having organised a "Pakistan Conference" within days of the recent deadly terror strike at Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The event was denounced for purportedly legitimised accounts tied to state-sponsored terrorism as well as being insensitive to the victims of what students termed a "targeted, religion-based massacre." In response to ANI, Harvard student Surabi Tomar spoke out with concern and stated, "The heinous attack in Pahalgam was a religion-based targeted assault. When Harvard invites officials, particularly those who ideologically justify such acts, it risks giving legitimacy to state-sponsored terror narratives on our campus." #WATCH | Cambridge, US: On Harvard's South Asia Institute hosting a 'Pakistan Conference', Surabi Tomar, Harvard University Student, says, "We shouldn't stay silent after a faith-based killing, that is our belief. We consulted our peers. There was a lot of support for us given by… — ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2025 Tomar explained that although the conference was pre-planned, the timing — five days after the Pahalgam attack — made it even more contentious. "Even if coincidental, we do not believe it is right for a university like Harvard to provide a platform to such voices," she added. Tomar also disclosed that the students have written to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, requesting him to deny visas to ideologically extremist supporting officials. "We acted out of a shared moral obligation. This was not random violence. It was religious persecution. We urged Harvard to stand against Hinduphobia," she added. Another student, Rashmini Koparkar, was in the same vein, lambasting the insensitivity of the event. "We expected the guests to at least acknowledge the Pahalgam attack. A condemnation would have been a thoughtful gesture. Many of the speakers were officials from a country that has long harboured cross-border terrorism," she stated. Amid the row, Harvard's South Asia Institute released a statement in support of hosting the conference. It expressed condolences to Pahalgam attack victims while reiterating that the event was independently organised by students and their faculty advisor. "The Institute supports academic research and collaborates on multiple events annually. 'The Pakistan Conference,' held on April 27, 2025, was entirely student-driven. We did not consult any benefactor in the process," the release stated. "We share the grief and anguish with our friends and colleagues in India affected by the April 22 attack, and we offer our heartfelt condolences." The scandal has fueled a broader controversy regarding academic responsibility, freedom, and limits of political sensitivity on university campuses across the world.
