NEW DELHI: Leading Indian-American organizations have called upon the Chancellor of Rutgers University in New Jersey to prohibit the display of a separatist Kashmiri flag on its campus, arguing that it would convey an inappropriate message amidst the ongoing turmoil at prominent US educational institutions regarding Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
The conflict was sparked by unprecedented attacks against Israel by Hamas militants on October 7, resulting in over 1,400 casualties. In response, Israel has initiated a significant counter-offensive against the Islamic militant group that has governed Gaza since 2007. Meanwhile, The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza has claimed that at least 34,622 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory during almost seven months of war between Israel and Hamas.
On Friday, a group representing protesting students claimed that the Rutgers University administration had met eight of their ten demands. Point nine of the demands stated: “Display of the flags of occupied peoples – including but limited to Palestine, Kurds, and Kashmiris – in all areas displaying international flags across the Rutgers campuses.”
However, PTI sources claimed that the university did not accept the demands of the protesting group. The Office of the Chancellor will assess the flags displayed across Rutgers’s New Brunswick Campus and ensure appropriate representation of students enrolled in academics at the university.
The group’s assertions angered several Indian-American organizations, which urged the university to refrain from permitting the display of a separatist Kashmiri flag on its campus. Suhag Shukla from the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) stated on social media platform X that Rutgers University “has caved.”
The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) shared the HAF’s sentiments, expressing that Rutgers University “caved in to hate and approved the display of a flag that brought terror to the small surviving indigenous minority in Kashmir.” CoHNA further stated that under this flag, Kashmiri Hindus were systematically expelled from their ancestral homeland, Kashmir, a place named after the ancient Hindu Sage Kashyap.
Dharma Viveka commented on X that Rutgers University set a poor precedent for all public institutions, particularly universities across the US, by negotiating with anarchist bullies and granting a list of concessions, thereby failing to allocate resources equitably and betraying public trust. It is worth noting that the university has a significant number of Indian students, and New Jersey is home to one of the largest concentrations of Indian Americans in the US.
Thomas Abraham, Chairman of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), wrote a letter to Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway, objecting to students’ demand to display flags of displaced people on its campus. He expressed surprise that the university was considering the demand, stating that it questions India’s integrity and that Kashmir is an integral part of India with no separate flag. Abraham emphasized that the displaced people are the Hindu minorities who were forced to leave Kashmir due to violence against them. He cautioned that if Rutgers displays such a flag of Kashmir, it will lead to more sit-ins by students who oppose such flags. As a public educational institution that belongs to everyone, Abraham asserted that Rutgers University should not involve itself in the internal conflicts of countries around the world.
The conflict was sparked by unprecedented attacks against Israel by Hamas militants on October 7, resulting in over 1,400 casualties. In response, Israel has initiated a significant counter-offensive against the Islamic militant group that has governed Gaza since 2007. Meanwhile, The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza has claimed that at least 34,622 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory during almost seven months of war between Israel and Hamas.
On Friday, a group representing protesting students claimed that the Rutgers University administration had met eight of their ten demands. Point nine of the demands stated: “Display of the flags of occupied peoples – including but limited to Palestine, Kurds, and Kashmiris – in all areas displaying international flags across the Rutgers campuses.”
However, PTI sources claimed that the university did not accept the demands of the protesting group. The Office of the Chancellor will assess the flags displayed across Rutgers’s New Brunswick Campus and ensure appropriate representation of students enrolled in academics at the university.
The group’s assertions angered several Indian-American organizations, which urged the university to refrain from permitting the display of a separatist Kashmiri flag on its campus. Suhag Shukla from the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) stated on social media platform X that Rutgers University “has caved.”
The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) shared the HAF’s sentiments, expressing that Rutgers University “caved in to hate and approved the display of a flag that brought terror to the small surviving indigenous minority in Kashmir.” CoHNA further stated that under this flag, Kashmiri Hindus were systematically expelled from their ancestral homeland, Kashmir, a place named after the ancient Hindu Sage Kashyap.
Dharma Viveka commented on X that Rutgers University set a poor precedent for all public institutions, particularly universities across the US, by negotiating with anarchist bullies and granting a list of concessions, thereby failing to allocate resources equitably and betraying public trust. It is worth noting that the university has a significant number of Indian students, and New Jersey is home to one of the largest concentrations of Indian Americans in the US.
Thomas Abraham, Chairman of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), wrote a letter to Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway, objecting to students’ demand to display flags of displaced people on its campus. He expressed surprise that the university was considering the demand, stating that it questions India’s integrity and that Kashmir is an integral part of India with no separate flag. Abraham emphasized that the displaced people are the Hindu minorities who were forced to leave Kashmir due to violence against them. He cautioned that if Rutgers displays such a flag of Kashmir, it will lead to more sit-ins by students who oppose such flags. As a public educational institution that belongs to everyone, Abraham asserted that Rutgers University should not involve itself in the internal conflicts of countries around the world.