Maharashtra: After Jindal University row, IIT-B cancels pro-Hamas lecture by DU Professor

In an interesting turn of events, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has decided to cancel terror apologist Professor Achin Vanaik’s planned lecture on the Israel-Palestine conflict following protests by students and controversy at OP Jindal Global University.

Originally slated for November 6, the event was rescheduled to November 7 by IIT authorities. However, on November 7, students received an email from the Department of Humanities and Social Science stating that the talk had been cancelled.

Professor Vanaik who made controversy at the Jindal Global University this week by commenting on Sanatn Dharma was the speaker at the event. In his talk he justified suicide bombing and supported the idea of Hamas.

Notably, a group of students from the institute expressed their opposition to the talk and sent an email to IIT Bombay authorities, urging them to cancel the lecture by Professor Vanaik, who is a retired professor of international relations from Delhi University.

They requested that the talk by Achin Vanaik be cancelled, citing the professor’s address at the OP Jindal University. They also expected IIT-B to come up with “strict policies barring the occurrence of these sorts of events in the future.” Last week, a controversy erupted after Vanaik allegedly backed the Palestinian militant outfit Hamas and reportedly made anti-Hindu remarks.

“As a concerned member of the student fraternity feel compelled to raise several issues after hearing about this event. The speaker is a controversial person who delivered a talk at OP Jindal University on November 1, 2023. He is infamously known for making anti-religious (especially anti-Hindu) and antisemitic comments openly on stage and polarise the minds of students. Added to that he has also made anti-army statements and expressed solidarity with suicide bombers,” the mail read.

On November 1, the university hosted a talk titled ‘The History and Politics of the Palestinian Present’ by Professor Achin Vanaik, a retired professor of International Relations and former Head of the Department of Political Science at the University of Delhi, who is now an activist. Video clips of the lecture revealed that, in the name of showing solidarity with Palestinian civilians in Gaza, he made several antisemitic and anti-Hindu comments and also criticised the Modi government for India’s stance on the conflict.

While the talk was initially centered on the current Israel-Hamas conflict, Professor Achin Vanaik made several anti-Hindu and anti-Sanatana remarks. He claimed that Hindus are inherently Islamophobic, whereas Jews are not. He also pointed out that while Zionism and Hindu Dharma share some similarities, they differ in their relationship with Islam. He stated, “Zionism is not anti-Muslim; it is anti-Palestinian, but it is happy to piggyback on current Islamophobia. Hindu Dharma, on the other hand, is fundamentally and foundationally anti-Muslim.”

Additionally, he argued against the assertion that Hindus are the original inhabitants of India and that Hindu Dharma is one of the oldest civilisations. According to the professor, archaeological and scientific evidence indicates that Vedic civilisations predate the emergence of Vedas by approximately 2000 years. He emphasised the importance of discussing the Saraswati Valley Civilization.

Furthermore, Professor Vanaik expressed praise for suicide bombing, considering it an effective tactic employed by Islamic terrorists. He stated, “Understand one thing about suicide bombing: it expresses above all the determination not just to kill, but the determination to die.”

Expressing his disappointment, he said, “It is a very important issue and a tragedy of our time. It is disturbing that IIT Bombay cancelled the talk upon students’ demand. My views presented in the earlier talk seem to have been distorted.”

Notably, the students at JGU also called for a candle march in support of Palestine and pro-Hamas slogans were also raised at the event which had professors from the university as participants.