Harvard Student Condemns 'Pakistan Conference', Cites Hinduphobia and Religious Persecution

By A Staff Reporter

Cambridge, US — A student-led protest has erupted at Harvard University over the institution’s South Asia Institute hosting a 'Pakistan Conference', with Surabi Tomar, a student at Harvard, calling the event deeply insensitive in the wake of recent faith-based violence in India.

Tomar said that the initiative to oppose the conference stemmed from widespread support among international students who viewed the event as overlooking the issue of religious persecution, particularly targeting Hindus. “We shouldn't stay silent after a faith-based killing — that is our belief,” Tomar stated, referencing recent incidents of violence in India that survivors described as motivated by religious identity.

“We read the testimonies of survivors and we acted on a shared moral obligation to speak out,” she said. According to Tomar, students from over 65 countries backed their stance, demanding that Harvard clarify its position on events linked to extremist ideologies.

She emphasized that what occurred was “not random violence” but a targeted act of religious persecution. As part of their campaign, students urged the university to explicitly denounce Hinduphobia and called on U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to deny visas to any foreign officials who are alleged to support or promote terror-linked ideologies.