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‘Mind your business’: Mixed reaction in India after 19 American universities condemn police amid citizenship bill protests | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Students and faculty from more than a dozen American universities have produced a joint statement decrying police abuses on Indian college campuses. However, not everybody has welcomed the message from abroad. | |
A collective effort of several top schools, including Harvard, Yale, Columbia and Stanford, the 400 signatories voiced “solidarity” with the demonstrators protesting the recently-passed Citizenship Amendment Act and slammed police excesses in quelling the unrest. | A collective effort of several top schools, including Harvard, Yale, Columbia and Stanford, the 400 signatories voiced “solidarity” with the demonstrators protesting the recently-passed Citizenship Amendment Act and slammed police excesses in quelling the unrest. |
Also signed by Cornell, MIT, the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Illinois, the missive details five demands for the Indian government – calling for an end to the violence and investigations into police conduct, among other things. | Also signed by Cornell, MIT, the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Illinois, the missive details five demands for the Indian government – calling for an end to the violence and investigations into police conduct, among other things. |
While some expressed gratitude for the support from abroad, a number of Indian netizens did not appreciate being lectured to by students living 8,000 miles and an ocean away, and asked them to respectfully mind their own business. | While some expressed gratitude for the support from abroad, a number of Indian netizens did not appreciate being lectured to by students living 8,000 miles and an ocean away, and asked them to respectfully mind their own business. |
“Harvard does not have any moral right to talk about India. Did they ever write a letter during American foreign invasions?” one commenter asked aloud, while another wondered: “Out of how many students? [4 million?]” | “Harvard does not have any moral right to talk about India. Did they ever write a letter during American foreign invasions?” one commenter asked aloud, while another wondered: “Out of how many students? [4 million?]” |
Opposition lawmaker Shashi Tharoor of the Indian Congress Party, who shared a story about the joint university statement on Twitter, encountered push-back online as well, with some declaring their support for the police and questioning the protesters’ motives. | Opposition lawmaker Shashi Tharoor of the Indian Congress Party, who shared a story about the joint university statement on Twitter, encountered push-back online as well, with some declaring their support for the police and questioning the protesters’ motives. |
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has slammed the protests as “guerrilla politics” designed to instigate violence, and accused opposition parties of “spreading lies” about the citizenship bill. | Prime Minister Narendra Modi has slammed the protests as “guerrilla politics” designed to instigate violence, and accused opposition parties of “spreading lies” about the citizenship bill. |
“I appeal to the youth in colleges to debate our policies and protest democratically. We will listen to you,” Modi said at a rally on Tuesday, adding “But some parties, urban Naxals, are firing off your shoulders,” referring to India’s small but vocal communist movement. | “I appeal to the youth in colleges to debate our policies and protest democratically. We will listen to you,” Modi said at a rally on Tuesday, adding “But some parties, urban Naxals, are firing off your shoulders,” referring to India’s small but vocal communist movement. |
Passed by India’s parliament last week, the citizenship law offers to fast-track Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants who fled Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bengladesh before 2015 for reasons of religious persecution. While supporters of the legislation – introduced by Amit Shah of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – argue its sole purpose is to protect vulnerable minority groups, critics insist its exclusion of Muslims is motivated by hatred and contradicts the country’s traditions of tolerance and pluralism. | |
Like this story? Share it with a friend! | Like this story? Share it with a friend! |