Harvard University’s South Asia Institute has come under sharp criticism from its own students for hosting a “Pakistan Conference” just days after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which the students described as a “targeted, religion-based massacre.”
The students have called for the institution to issue a statement condemning the Pahalgam terror attack, where Hindus were targeted by Islamist terrorists from Pakistan. The students have outlined specific demands, urging the university to take a firm stand on the matter.
Voicing her concerns, Harvard student Surabi Tomar said the event risked normalising narratives that have, in her view, ideologically justified acts of terrorism.
“The horrible attack in Pahalgam was a targeted, religion-based massacre. When Harvard invites officials, especially officials who have ideologically justified such acts, it risks legitimising the state-backed terror narratives on our campus. This is the reason why we thought that we should take some action or ask people to take some action,” she said.
Tomar stated that while the event had been scheduled in advance, the timing was deeply inappropriate.
“It was a pre-planned event, and it was a coincidence. However, even given the coincidence, we do not think that it is correct for anyone, especially a university like Harvard, to legitimise such voices, especially when they in their country are trying to justify such acts and not condemning them,” she said.
The students, Tomar said, had called upon United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio to intervene by denying visas to officials with affiliations to “terror-linked ideologies.”
“We shouldn't stay silent after a faith-based killing; that is our belief. We consulted our peers. We received a great deal of support from students from 65 countries. We read the testimonies of survivors, and we acted on a shared moral obligation to speak out. We emphasised that this was not random violence. It was religious persecution. We urged Harvard to stand against Hinduphobia and asked the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to deny visas to officials who support terror-linked ideologies,” she said.
Another student, Rashmini Koparkar, expressed disappointment over the absence of any public condemnation of the Pahalgam killings by attendees or organisers of the conference.
“We were expecting a certain degree of sensitivity and acknowledgement of what has happened. The event was pre-planned and already discussed. It was a coincidence that the event took place within five days. However, a more thoughtful gesture would have been preferable. First of all, they could have condemned the attacks. Secondly, the number of guests and the high-ranking officials that were arriving at this event were actually in question because this is a state which has been harbouring cross-border terrorism for years. India has been suffering,” said Koparkar.
In response to the controversy, Harvard’s South Asia Institute issued a statement clarifying its position and extending condolences to victims of the April 22 attack in Pahalgam.
“The Institute supports academic research projects and works with other university partners on multiple events throughout the academic year. One such event was 'The Pakistan Conference,' organised by students from Harvard and held on April 27, 2025. In accordance with our principles of operation, we did not consult any benefactor of the Institute regarding this conference. The students, along with their faculty advisor, independently determined the topics and speakers presenting,” the statement read.
“We share the grief and anguish with our friends, colleagues, and loved ones in India who have been affected by the attack in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, and we offer our heartfelt condolences,” it added.
The Institute maintained that academic freedom allowed students to host and organise events independently, but the timing of this particular conference has invited questions over institutional responsibility and ethical boundaries in scholarly platforms.
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