At least 44 signatories from various schools and centres at Harvard University released a joint statement today expressing deep concern over “negative public discourse” and a “concerted campaign” against India’s constitutional institutions, following the Opposition-led protest in Delhi seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the special intensive revision (SIR) controversy.
They strongly criticised a statement by some 100 alumni of Harvard University who recently under the banner of the American institution commented on the protest in Delhi and the police’s response to the massive crowd of protesters.
The signatories who include many noted personalities from academia also termed as “troubling” reports of the use of Harvard University’s name without appropriate authorisation to lend credibility to a political campaign. Writing in their individual capacities as “concerned citizens from the world’s oldest and largest democracy, India,” the signatories said that in moments such as these “silence cannot be an excuse for indifference. “Our commitment must remain to the Constitution, not convenience; to justice, not selective outrage; and to democratic institutions, not the politics of accusation,” the signatories said. Objecting to the language used in recent public discourse, the signatories said depicting India as being under “siege” and characterising constitutional authorities as “thieves” or “compromised” raises serious concerns about an intent to undermine public trust in democratic institutions. “The actions of law enforcement agencies to uphold public order deserve fair scrutiny, but sweeping accusations and abusive rhetoric cannot substitute for evidence, due process or institutional accountability,” the statement said. “The dignity of public servants and the offices they hold must also be respected,” it said, adding that the Constitution and rule of law must be respected at all times rather than only when it suits specific interests.
