Harvard-Affiliated Indians Flag Concern Over Campaign Against Constitutional Institutions
Indian citizens at Harvard University express concern over campaigns targeting India's constitutional institutions and the rule of law.
A group of Indian citizens affiliated with Harvard University has issued a formal statement expressing deep concern regarding what they describe as a "concerted campaign" targeting India's core constitutional institutions. The signatories emphasized that the rule of law and civil liberties must be upheld at all times, regardless of political convenience.
Protecting Democratic Institutions
The group specifically highlighted several key pillars of Indian democracy that they believe are being unfairly targeted. These include the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Supreme Court, the office of the Chief Justice of India (CJI), and the Parliament.
In their statement, the signatories expressed alarm over the rhetoric being used in public discourse. They noted that describing India as being under "siege" or characterizing constitutional authorities as "thieves" or "compromised" threatens to undermine public trust in the very foundations of the world's largest democracy.
“We, concerned citizens from the world’s oldest and largest democracy, India, write with a deep sense of responsibility. In moments such as these, silence cannot be an excuse for indifference,” the statement read.
Unauthorized Use of Harvard Name
Beyond the critique of political discourse, the group raised a significant concern regarding the misuse of academic prestige. They noted reports suggesting that Harvard University's name has been used to lend credibility to political campaigns without receiving appropriate authorization from the institution.
Scrutiny vs. Abusive Rhetoric
Addressing the role of law enforcement, the group maintained a balanced stance. While they acknowledged that the actions of law enforcement agencies in maintaining public order deserve fair scrutiny, they warned against the use of "sweeping accusations and abusive rhetoric." They argued that such rhetoric cannot serve as a substitute for evidence, due process, or institutional accountability.
The signatories stressed that the dignity of public servants and the offices they hold must be respected. They called for a commitment to constitutional values and justice over political considerations and the "politics of accusation."
The signatories included:
- AK Raghawan and Abhigyan Satyam (Harvard Medical School)
- Abhishek M, Banu Nagarajan, Bhavya Bishnoi, Deepanshu Aggarwal, Divya Dwivedi and Jaya Awasthi (Harvard Kennedy School)
- Adhitya Srinivasan and Almas Lokhandwala (Harvard Law School)
- Aditya Kulshreshtha (Harvard Extension School)
- Akash Sabarwal and Arjunveer Sharma (Harvard Medical School)
- Chandan Gupta, Divya Sutar, Dr Srinivasan R. Iyengar, Dr K S Rao and Kamlakant Mishra (Harvard Business School)
- Dr Yash Agalgaonkar (Harvard Kennedy School)
- Gopala Dasa (Harvard Divinity School)
- Karishma Nair (Harvard Kennedy School)
- Kashika Dangri (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
- Naman Bansal (Harvard Graduate School of Education)
The statement clarified that it represents the individual views of its signatories.