Suspending a student from a college is no small thing. Usually, this is done for serious crimes or extreme rule violations. However, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently suspended an Indian student for just an essay.
The reason for this was that the essay was pro-Palestine and the college felt that it could incite violence or destructive protests on campus.
The suspension has led to much outrage and protests from other students who feel this was unfair and unjust toward the PhD scholar. Here we take a look at what happened.
What Happened With The Indian Student?
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently suspended Prahlad Iyengar, an Indian-origin PhD scholar until January 2026 and banned him from entering the college campus.
Prahlad Iyengar was pursuing a PhD from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and was the recipient of a five-year National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
The reason for the suspension is reportedly an essay about the pro-Palestine movement that Iyengar wrote in a multidisciplinary student magazine called Written Revolution.
This is not the first time that Iyengar has been suspended though. He was suspended last year after he took part in the on-campus pro-Palestine demonstrations.
Many feel that this suspension could be the end of his academic career at MIT as the suspension has terminated his fellowship.
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What Was Wrong With The Essay
In the October edition of the Written Revolution magazine, Prahlad wrote an article titled ‘On Pacifism’.
As per The Commune Magazine, Iyengar in his essay wrote about how pacifist methods might not be the best method for Palestine, however, he did not outright call for violence. There were also some images from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), considered to be a terrorist organisation by the e US State Department.
The MIT administration, on the other hand, believes that the essay and violent imagery could potentially encourage violent protests on campus.
An email sent by the MIT Dean of Student Life David Warren Randall, to the magazine editors, stated that Iyengar’s article “could be interpreted as a call for more violent or destructive forms of protests at MIT.”
As per a Moneycontrol report, the college also felt that the article had “several troubling statements” about the “history of violence and non-violence, including in anti-colonial movements of the mid-20th century.”
According to an X/Twitter post by the MIT Coalition Against Apartheid, “After public backlash against Prahlad’s campus ban due to an article about the pro-Palestine movement, MIT pivoted to suspending Prahlad on charges that have been resolved as informal warnings in similar scenarios.”
Reaction To The Suspension
Prahlad’s lawyer Eric Lee shared a statement from him on X/Twitter that said “The administration accuses me of supporting ‘terrorism’ because the edition in which my article appears includes images of posters from the Popular Front for the Liberation and containing violent imagery in the publication.”
He also said, “These extraordinary actions should concern everyone on campus… I don’t ask that you agree with my views on these questions, but they have been subject to legitimate debate on the left for many decades and it is my First Amendment right to contribute to this discussion,” and that “Expelling me and banning Written Revolution from campus as a result of this article would mark an unprecedented attack on the rights of the entire student body and faculty. Consider the precedent MIT has set.”
MIT Coalition Against Apartheid has strongly spoken out against Iyengar’s suspension, posting on X/Twitter about a campus rally protesting it and posting a letter asking for the expulsion to be stopped.
In it, they wrote, “We are reaching out to City Councilors for support in an urgent matter concerning academic freedom and the fair treatment of pro-Palestine students. MIT graduate student and National Science Foundation (NSF) fellow Prahlad Iyengar has been suspended until January 2026, effectively terminating his 5-year NSF fellowship and severely disrupting his academic career. This suspension is, in practice, an expulsion, as his readmission is entirely contingent upon approval from the same Committee on Discipline (COD) that handed down this harsh sanction. Prahlad is now appealing the decision to the Chancellor at MIT on December 11, the last opportunity to end and restore academic dignity.”
The letter further states, “This fight is not just about academic freedom at MIT; it is part of a broader attack on the Palestinian liberation struggle and its supporters. Instead of ending its complicity in the genocide in Gaza by ceasing research ties with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, MIT has chosen to target students to protect its interests.”
In an Instagram post, he further questioned, “MIT accuses me of terrorism, but how far will this label be applied? Supporters of Israel have used the word terrorist to describe United Nations bodies like UNRWA, poets like Mosab Abu Toha, and journalist like Bisan-Owda. Will MIT ban UN rapporteurs, poets or visiting professors from speaking on the grounds that they are “terrorists” who promote violence?”
Along with Iyengar, the magazine that published his article has also been banned.
Randall in a letter banning the publication stated, “At this time, you are directed to no longer distribute this issue of Written Revolution on MIT’s campus. You are also prohibited from distributing it elsewhere using the MIT name or that of any MIT-recognised organisation.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Hindustan Times, Mint, Firstpost
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This post is tagged under:MIT, MIT indian student, Palestine, Palestine America, Palestine protests, Israel-Palestine war, Pro-Palestine Protesters, protest, schools, pro palestinian protest, United States, us campus protests, us palestine news, us palestine protests, us palestine protests campus, US pro Palestine students protests, Prahlad Iyengar, Prahlad Iyengar mit, Prahlad Iyengar essay, Prahlad Iyengar article, Prahlad Iyengar written revolution
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