Harvard Commencement Uproar: Shruthi Kumar Deviates from Script, Criticizes School, Sparking Mass Walkout

Los Angeles/Mar 27, 2024
NRIpress.club/Ramesh/A.Gary Singh
A Harvard University commencement speaker sharply deviated from her prepared remarks to criticize the Ivy League school for excluding students involved in a disruptive anti-Israeli protest, leading to a walkout by over 1,000 attendees.
Shruthi Kumar, the senior chosen to give the English address on Thursday, surprised the audience by revealing a piece of paper with contentious remarks from her gown sleeve. She condemned the university leaders for withholding diplomas from more than a dozen students.
"Today, I must acknowledge my peers — the 13 members of the Class of 2024 who will not graduate," Kumar stated, as captured in a video shared by Harvard. She expressed her disappointment in the university's lack of tolerance for freedom of speech and civil disobedience regarding the protest, which had replaced the American flag with a Palestinian one.
Following her remarks, more than 1,000 people walked out, chanting, "Let them walk," as reported by the Harvard Crimson. Some held signs, including a large banner that read, "Stop the genocide."
Last week, Harvard suspended five students and sanctioned over 20 others for participating in the anti-Israel protest, which concluded earlier this month. The punished group included the 13 seniors barred from receiving their diplomas or participating in the ceremony by the school's highest governing body.
Despite the controversy, Kumar argued that the school's actions demonstrated that "this semester our freedom of speech and expressions of solidarity became punishable." She emphasized the importance of civil rights and democratic principles, urging the university to listen to its students and faculty.
Kumar's speech received applause and a standing ovation from the crowd, including some faculty members.
Anticipating such protests, Harvard had altered the traditional schedule, with the governing body entering the stage through a side entrance. However, interim Harvard president Alan Garber faced boos when he acknowledged the protests at the start of the ceremony.
Garber noted, "As our ceremony proceeds, some may choose to express themselves regarding wider world events. It is their right, but they must do so with our community and this occasion in mind."
The Harvard Corporation stated that the 13 students were found to have violated university policies during the protest. It highlighted that the student handbook specifies that students not in good standing are ineligible for degrees.
Harvard planned to confer 1,539 degrees on Harvard College students, with the excluded 13 eligible to receive their degrees quickly if their appeals succeed. "We recognize that not graduating is significant for students and their families," the university stated."
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