India Advises Indian Students in the US to Comply with Local Laws
Protests against Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza have spread across US colleges and universities. With students demanding an end to US support for Israel. On Wednesday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) urged Indian students enrolled in US colleges and universities. To respect local laws and regulations concerning the ongoing protests. The ministry clarified that there have been no reports of Indian students participating in these protests. And no student or their family has contacted Indian missions for help.
MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a news briefing in New Delhi. That the ministry expects all its citizens, at home and abroad, to respect local laws and regulations. He added that no Indian students or their families have contacted them for any assistance regarding disciplinary action taken for their participation in the protests.
Hundreds of thousands of Indian students are enrolled in US colleges and universities for graduate and undergraduate courses. Many of them aspire to work and settle down in the US after college. And are unlikely to participate in protests or other actions that could jeopardize their future.
India Advises Indian Students in the US to Comply with Local Laws
Students across US colleges and universities have been protesting against Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza. Demanding an end to US support for Israel and calling for divestment from businesses and entities with investments in Israel. These protests have turned violent in some instances, with students taking over parts of university buildings. Police have arrested scores of students and broken up their encampments.
Protestors at Columbia University have been heard chanting, “Disclose, divest. We will not slow, we will not rest.” They want the university to divest from Israel and cut ties with companies that invest in Israel or have supported its war effort.
US President Joe Biden addressed the violence in a speech from the White House, saying that the freedom to protest must be accompanied by respect for the law. He added that violent protests are not protected, but peaceful protests are.
Biden appealed for an end to anti-semitism, Islamophobia, and discrimination against supporters of Palestine. He said that dissent is essential to democracy, but it must never lead to disorder or denying the rights of others. College authorities and law enforcement agencies have blamed some of the violence on outsiders joining student protestors, with New York police finding “professional agitators” among protestors at Columbia.