In a surprising turn of events, students from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have filed a police complaint against Professor Sharmishtha Saha and guest lecturer Sudhanva Deshpande, accusing them of expressing support for Hamas and terrorists during a lecture. The complaint, lodged by Omkar Supekar, a humanities and social science student, demands the registration of an FIR against the professor and lecturer.
The controversial lecture, which took place on November 6 as part of the Performance Theory coursework, featured a screening of a documentary on Palestine. Allegations include Deshpande’s praise for Zakaria Zubeidi, associated with Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, known for suicide bombings and claimed responsibility for a terror attack. The IIT-B administration faces criticism for not addressing students’ complaints prior to the event.
Deshpande defended his stance on social media, explaining the context of the film, ‘Arna’s Children.’ The statement emphasized historical recognition of the Palestinian freedom struggle by India and the cancellation of another lecture on the Israel-Palestine conflict at IIT-B.
The police have confirmed receiving the complaint, and further action is pending a decision.
Moreover, on November 7, IIT-B abruptly cancelled a talk titled ‘Israel-Palestine: The Historical Context’, which was to be delivered by Achin Vanaik. This sudden cancellation has prompted criticism from students, with the IIT Bombay for Justice collective condemning the denial of academic space for such crucial issues. They argue that the cancellation, under the pretext of ‘unforeseen circumstances,’ has become a recurring pattern, raising concerns about the curtailment of academic freedom at IIT-B.
