
Indian students at Harvard protest Pakistani delegates' visit post Pahalgam, ask Rubio to revoke visas
In a letter addressed to Harvard President Dr Alan Garber, Provost John F. Manning, Harvard Kennedy School Dean Jeremy Weinstein, and the Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Indian students urged the academic institution to publicly condemn the 22 April attack and reconsider hosting Pakistani officials at the Pakistan Conference 2025.
New Delhi: The aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack has now spilled over to other parts of the world. Indian students at Harvard University in the United States are protesting the upcoming visit of Pakistani delegates to the campus, accusing Pakistan's government of supporting religiously motivated terrorism against Hindus in India.
'These acts of violence were not indiscriminate—they were calculated attacks based solely on religious identity,' the letter read. 'Harvard must ensure its campus does not become a platform for whitewashing state-enabled religious terrorism.'
The Indian students expressed particular concern that Pakistani delegates, including the country's finance minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, are slated to speak at the conference, despite Pakistan's Senate's new resolution reaffirming its support for Kashmir's so-called 'freedom struggle', which they argued is often used to justify violence against Indian civilians.
'Welcoming representatives of a government that not only denies accountability for, but also ideologically supports such religion-based terrorism, risks Harvard being complicit in legitimising those who enable or justify these crimes,' the letter added.
The concerned students further asked Garber to issue a public statement condemning the Pahalgam attack, and affirming the university's support for victims of religion-based violence, reconsider the participation of Pakistani officials at the upcoming Pakistan Conference 2025 and provide emotional and institutional support to affected students through the Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
In a parallel move, the students also wrote to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging the Trump administration to revoke the visas of Pakistani officials travelling for the event. They called on the US government to 'stand with victims and uphold America's moral clarity in the face of terrorism'.
'Welcoming representatives of a government that enables or justifies terrorism risks Harvard being complicit,' the joint letter to Rubio read. 'The United States must not host representatives of a state that protects and promotes organisations targeting civilians based on faith.'
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
Also Read: In touch with both India & Pakistan, US calls for 'responsible' solution after Pahalgam attack
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
4 minutes ago
- First Post
'Stopped war': Trump again makes a claim India has repeatedly refuted on 4-day Pakistan clash
Trump has once again claimed credit for 'stopping war' between India and Pakistan, this time saying he intervened to prevent a nuclear conflict. His remarks have drawn sharp criticism from the Congress, which questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the matter. read more US President Donald Trump has once again claimed credit for averting a war between India and Pakistan, drawing sharp criticism from the Congress, which questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's continued silence on the matter. Speaking at a reception at the White House on Tuesday (July 23, 2025), Trump said, 'We stopped wars between India and Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.' He further claimed that five aircraft were shot down during the India-Pakistan confrontation and that the situation was close to spiraling into a nuclear conflict. 'It was going back and forth. I called them and said, 'No more trade. If you do this, it's not going to be good.' They're both powerful nuclear nations, and that would have happened. I stopped it,' Trump asserted. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD #WATCH | US President Donald Trump says, "We have stopped wars between India and Pakistan. They were probably going to end up in a nuclear war. They shot down five planes in the last attack. It was back and forth, back and forth. I called them and I said no more trade if you do… — ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2025 The congress said that this marks the 25th time in the past 73 days that Trump has repeated his claim of preventing a war between the two South Asian neighbours. Reacting to the remarks, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at PM Modi, saying while Trump has made a 'silver jubilee' out of his claim, the Indian prime minister remains conspicuously silent. 'He has trumpeted his claim 25 times in 73 days, yet the Prime Minister of India has not uttered a word—choosing instead to travel abroad and destabilise democratic institutions at home,' Ramesh said in a post on X. He also slammed the Modi government for refusing to give firm dates for a parliamentary debate on the Pahalgam-Sindoor issue, adding that the PM has not committed to responding in the House. Trump also expanded his list of purported diplomatic achievements, claiming the U.S. had 'taken out Iran's entire nuclear capability' and stopped conflicts in Kosovo and Serbia. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While Trump has frequently credited his trade diplomacy for de-escalating global tensions, there has been no official confirmation from New Delhi or Islamabad regarding his role in the alleged ceasefire or the reported aerial engagement.
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
4 minutes ago
- First Post
India-UK FTA: A bold new trade era set to take off
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertakes his fourth visit to the United Kingdom this week, the economic relationship that India has with the country has come into focus afresh. Both countries are going to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) during the PM's visit, which is his first since Keir Starmer came to power. The signing of the FTA will mark the culmination of three-year-long negotiations, a process that started in the year 2022 and saw both countries iron out significant differences to achieve a mutually beneficial deal. Once operational, this trading agreement is expected to boost India-UK bilateral trade from its current volume of $55 billion to $120 billion by 2030. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The UK remains a key economic partner for India and is also the sixth-largest investor in India, with cumulative investments of around $36 billion. India itself is a key contributor to the British economy, with at least 1,000 Indian companies operating in the country, employing more than one lakh people, with a total investment of $20 billion. Inking an FTA with an emerging economic powerhouse like India is significant for the UK, and maybe this is why they have called it their 'biggest and economically most significant' bilateral agreement since exiting the European Union. For India, this FTA is equally important, as the country is an important market for Indian exports—one with which it also enjoys a modest trade surplus. The FTA is also crucial because it is one of those agreements that India has signed after overhauling its approach to trade liberalisation under the leadership of PM Modi. In 2014, when Modi came to power, one of the first things on his priority list was to review the existing trading arrangements that India had with countries across the world. Prior to this, the previous government had indiscriminately signed FTAs regardless of whether they were securing market access for Indian products or not. Within a decade, India had signed trade agreements with Singapore, ASEAN, Japan, South Korea, among others. This one-sided economic liberalism did provide the UPA coalition with an image of a progressive government that was doing a 'lot' for the country's economy, but by the time they went out of power, India's trade deficit with key countries—including China (with which there was no FTA but just ambitious bilateral trade targets)—had zoomed to unsustainable levels. The India-ASEAN FTA particularly faced a huge domestic backlash because it made India a dumping ground for cheap offerings, while Indian products struggled to survive. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Naturally, the issue of the trade deficit and India's lack of capacity to compete in the global market was of grave concern to the Modi government, which preferred to adopt a strategic approach to FTAs—one that focused on securing market access for Indian products on a reciprocal basis. This was more than evident when his government put a pause on signing FTAs till 2021 and even withdrew from the China-dominated Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Though Modi faced a lot of flak from his detractors—who called him a socialist, a protectionist, and considered his move to not sign FTAs as adversarial to India's economic interest—he did not budge, as if he knew what was best to protect the country's economic interests. While a strategic pause was put on signing new trading agreements and a careful review of the existing ones was being undertaken, his government took concrete steps on one very important front—building India's indigenous manufacturing capacity so as to compete effectively at the global level. The spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the early launch of the 'Make in India' program, and the game-changing Production-Linked Incentive Scheme were some of the essential steps that were taken before actually boarding the FTA wagon again. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Along with this, the government was also planning a new approach to integration with the global economy, where emphasis was on using this integration to boost India's economy and not just become a market open to exploitation by much more developed countries. When India signs the FTA with the United Kingdom this week during PM Modi's visit, the changed approach to bilateral trading arrangements would be more than visible. Because this time, it has literally put in unprecedented efforts to negotiate a favourable deal with a much-developed economy. The FTA with the UK is set to provide duty-free access to 99 per cent of Indian goods, with key sectors such as automobiles—including electric vehicles—engineering goods, sports goods, and even services benefiting. Most importantly, India, being a labour-intensive economy, will gain access to a wide market, particularly for its leather products, apparel and footwear, toys, marine products, and gems and jewellery. In the last decade, the Modi government's efforts to revive the electronics sector—making it a leading engine of the country's manufacturing story—will be suitably rewarded by this trade deal, as electronics exports from India to the UK have already surged from $450 million in 2020 to $1.7 billion in 2023. India's textiles sector will also benefit from the FTA, which already exports knit apparel and raw materials worth Rs 1.5 billion to the United Kingdom annually. The sheer scope of job creation due to a boost in these exports is going to be huge, with the country's large and cost-wise globally most competitive labour force finding meaningful avenues for employment. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Interestingly, India has also allowed for liberalisation in the auto sector—but on a strictly reciprocal basis and that too with well-thought-out caution in place in the form of a quota-based easing of tariffs. This will definitely provide traction to Indian automakers in the UK market, unlocking newer opportunities for them. Another interesting aspect of the trade deal is India's access to the British public procurement market. This means Indian firms will be handed non-discriminatory treatment while applying to fulfil public procurement tenders floated by the UK government. While the exact figures for the UK's total procurement are not available, it is estimated to be an opportunity worth hundreds of billions of pounds that Indian suppliers can now readily tap into. In return, India has also allowed UK-based businesses to participate in public procurement contracts—but only in non-sensitive sectors, with a caveat that they must have at least 20 per cent Indian content. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Along with other wins, a crucial victory for Indian negotiators is the provision for exemption from UK's social security contributions in the form of the Double Contributions Convention Agreement (DCCA). Due to this, Indian workers who are temporarily in the UK—and their employers—will not have to contribute anything towards social security in the country, thus leading to savings of around 20 per cent of their salaries. This will set a good precedent for other developed countries to follow with India. India's unexplored side as a tough negotiator has really come to the fore through this deal, as India has also secured exemption for sensitive agricultural products such as dairy products, apples, cheese, oats, etc., which would have collapsed due to fierce competition from British products in the category. Even sensitive industrial goods that need protection before they can compete globally—such as plastics, optical fibres, TV camera tubes, etc.—have also been excluded from the deal. On certain other goods, India has agreed to cut duties only on a gradual basis over a longer period of time. This also includes liquor, where duties will be reduced only over a period of ten years so as to protect the domestic market. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This week, when PM Modi signs the FTA with the UK, it will not only signal India's new-found willingness to integrate with the global market, but it will also demonstrate its resolve to do it only on beneficial terms. The days of signing FTAs for the sake of appearing liberal and seeking validation from economists are over for India. This dispensation has shown that it is willing to walk the talk of trade liberalisation with the developed world—but only when it also boosts the country's own economy. The agreement is an example of India's growing assertiveness in the domain of foreign economic policy, and other developed countries who are looking to seal a deal with India must duly take note of it. The author is a New Delhi-based commentator on geopolitics and foreign policy. She holds a PhD from the Department of International Relations, South Asian University. She tweets @TrulyMonica. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
34 minutes ago
- First Post
Watch: PM Modi embarks on 4-day visit to UK, Maldives; trade, defence ties in focus
PM Modi's trips aim to boost trade and defence ties, with a major highlight being the anticipated signing of a landmark India-UK free trade agreement read more Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (July 23) departed for a two-nation visit to the United Kingdom and the Maldives. In the first leg of the visit, the PM will visit the UK from July 23 to 24. From there, he will fly to the Maldives before concluding his four-day trip. #WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi departs for a two-nation visit to the United Kingdom and Maldives. PM Modi will pay an official visit to the United Kingdom from 23 – 24 July. In the second leg of his visit, PM will undertake a State Visit to Maldives from July… — ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD PM Modi's trips aim to boost trade and defence ties, with a major highlight being the anticipated signing of a landmark India-UK free trade agreement during his London visit. The foreign tour comes amidst the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament, which started on July 21. In the Maldives, the PM will be the guest of honour at the nation's Independence Day celebrations. In the UK, he's scheduled for in-depth discussions with Starmer and a meeting with King Charles III on July 23-24. This marks PM Modi's fourth UK visit since taking office. On Thursday (July 24), Starmer will host Modi at Chequers, the British prime minister's countryside retreat, about 50 km northwest of London. According to sources cited by news agency PTI, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and his UK counterpart Jonathan Reynolds are expected to finalise the free trade agreement in the presence of both leaders. (More to follow)