Indian-American community organizations are urging Rutgers University to reject a demand from student protesters to fly a separatist Kashmiri flag on campus. This comes amidst ongoing protests at US universities against Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The student group claims eight of their ten demands were met by the university administration, including the display of flags representing “occupied peoples.” This sparked outrage from Indian-American groups who argue a separatist Kashmiri flag does not represent the views of all Kashmiris and could send the wrong message.
The group’s claims infuriated several Indian American groups, which urged the university which advised it against allowing the display of a separatist Kashmiri flag on its campus.
Rutgers University “has caved,” Suhag Shukla from the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) said in a post on social media platform X.
So @RutgersU has caved. But check this out.
“Display the flags of occupied peoples including…Kashmiris?
How nice.
Let’s ask the indigenous people of Kashmir.
Hey Kashmiri Pandit friends, Shall we send your flag to Rutgers? 🇮🇳 https://t.co/LhseUW0KoX pic.twitter.com/QAKIfxOY25
— Suhag A. Shukla (@SuhagAShukla) May 3, 2024
Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) echoed the HAF’s sentiments.
Rutgers University “caved in to hate and approved the display of a flag that brought terror to the small surviving indigenous minority in Kashmir,” CoHNA said in a post on X.
“Under this flag, Kashmiri Hindus were systematically cleansed out of their homeland Kashmir – a place named for the ancient Hindu Sage Kashyap,” it said.
One Dharma Viveka wrote that Rutgers University set a terrible example for all public institutions, especially universities around the US.
“Negotiated with anarchist bullies and miserably caved in granting a laundry list of concessions. Betrayed public trust by failing at equitable allocation of resources,” Viveka wrote on X.
Rutgers University has not confirmed whether they will allow the Kashmiri flag. The university says they will review the flags displayed on campus to ensure they reflect the student body.
They argue the flag represents a group that has brought violence to Kashmir.
The Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) also voiced their opposition to the flag in a letter to the university president.
This disagreement highlights the complexities surrounding the display of flags representing disputed territories on university campuses.
