MIT Faces Backlash After Suspension Of Indian-Origin Student For Pro-Palestine Essay | What We Know

As reported by the Boston Globe, Iyengar has been issued a suspension notice in response to an essay he wrote for the student-run magazine - Written Revolution.

Iyengar wrote an article titled "On Pacifism" for the October issue of the student-run magazine Written Revolution. As per MIT Dean of Student Life David Warren Randall, the article featured imagery and language that “could be interpreted as a call for more violent or destructive forms of protest at MIT."

The university also objected that the article featured the logo of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which has been declared as a terrorist organisation by the US State Department.

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Iyengar, who has been suspended for inciting terrorism, has denied all charges. The PhD student has stated that the college has charged him with terrorism due to the photos in the essay, which he did not provide.

Along with Iyengar's suspension, the university has also banned the distribution of the student-run magazine.

MIT Students Rally For Iyengar

As per the official notice sent to Iyengar, he has been suspended till January 2026, which has resulted in the termination of his five-year NSF fellowship.

MIT Coalition Against Apartheid also called for a rally at Cambridge City Hall in support of Iyengar.

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"The [Committee on Discipline] lumped Prahlad’s case with another ongoing disciplinary case to paint Prahlad as a “repeat offender,” but suddenly and arbitrarily split the case in two parts after facing significant public criticism for violating his free speech," MIT CAA said on X.

On Monday, around 100 MIT students and community members gathered at Cambridge Hall and called on city councillors to intervene in the matter and block Iyengar's suspension.

Along with Iyengar's suspension, MIT students have also raised their grievances with the university's status as a non-profit, which allows the administration to take action against pro-Palestine students without proper oversight.

Iyengar's suspension also comes at a time when universities and colleges across the United States saw widespread movements calling for the creation of an independent Palestine and to end Israel's war on Gaza.

Earlier this year, students across campuses went on strike and called on their universities to divest from Israel and called on the US Government, led by President Joe Biden to condemn Israel's response to the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023.