MIT suspends Indian-origin student for pro-Palestine essay; 'unacceptable', says student union

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) barred an Indian-origin PhD scholar from entering his college campus over a pro-Palestine essay he wrote in the college magazine last month. It has also banned the Written Revolution, a student magazine about the pro-Palestine movement.

According to MIT, the article was giving a call for violence, said reports.

However, reports also pointed out that Iyengar’s essay titled 'On Pacifism’ did not directly call for violent resistance but also emphasised that pacifist tactics may not be the best solution for Palestine.

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Call for violence, says MIT

According to Iyengar, the terrorism charges against him stem from the essay featuring photos and a logo of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a terrorist organisation. These visuals were not provided by him, he said.

His lawyer Eric Lee posted a statement from Iyengar on X, ”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."

However, the college felt the essay had language that "could be interpreted as a call for more violent or destructive forms of protests at MIT". This was emailed by the MIT dean of student life, David Warren Randall to the magazine's editors.

Iyengar was pursuing a PhD from the department of electrical engineering and computer science, but his five-year National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship is likely to be terminated now.

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Freedom of speech on American campuses

Reacting to the suspension, Iyengar stated that it highlighted the larger issue of freedom of speech on American campuses.

He called his suspension an "extraordinary action".

"These extraordinary actions should concern everyone on camp," he said in a statement. Further, he pointed out that "expelling me and banning Written Revolution from campus as a result of this article would mark an unprecedented attack on the rights of the entire student body and faculty. Consider the precedent MIT has set."

This is not the first time Iyengar has been suspended by MIT. Earlier, he was suspended last year following pro-Palestine demonstrations.

Unacceptable

In a report in The Boston Globe, the president of MIT Graduate Student Union was quoting as saying that it is "unacceptable" that MIT is choosing to threaten student livelihood and careers simply because they don't agree with what students are speaking up and protesting for.

Meanwhile, the MIT Coalition Against Apartheid has started a protest against the MIT's decision.

"After public backlash against Prahlad's campus ban due to an article about the pro-Palestine movement, MIT pivoted to suspending Prahlad on charges that have been resolved as informal warnings in similar scenarios," wrote MIT Coalition Against Apartheid on X.

Prahlad is now appealing his case with the Chancellor to reduce the unjust sanctions against him.

The coalition said in a statement, "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."