Our Bureau
New Brunswick, NJ
Dr. Thomas Abraham, Chairman, Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) wrote a letter to Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway on Protesting Students’ Demand to Display Flags of Displaced People in Rutgers campus. Students had demanded to display flags of occupied peoples – including but not limited to Palestinians, Kurds, and Kashmiris – in all areas displaying international flags across the Rutgers campuses.
“We are very surprised to read that you are considering the demand of protesting students to display the flags of occupied peoples – including but not limited to Palestinians, Kurds, and Kashmiris – in all areas displaying international flags across the Rutgers campuses. This is a dangerous territory for Rutgers to get involved. By even considering this demand, you are questioning the integrity of India. Kashmir is very much a part of India. There is no separate flag for Kashmir. Kashmir residents are not displaced people. In fact, the displaced people are the Hindu minorities who had to leave Kashmir because of violence against them. If Rutgers displays such a flag of Kashmir, that will be the beginning of more sit-ins by students who are opposed to such flags.”
“As a public educational institution, which belongs to everyone, Rutgers University has no business to get into the internal conflicts of countries around the world,” the letter continued.
GOPIO is a non-profit, community service and advocacy group with chapters in 35 countries. GOPIO has seven active chapters in the New York area and three chapters in New Jersey GOPIO was started in 1989 at the First Convention of People of Indian Origin in New York. From the beginning, one of its major activities has been advocacy in civil and human rights violations of people of Indian origin around the world.
