Amidst the unrest in various campuses across the US over the war in Gaza and US university connections to defence and research institutions tied to the conflict, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) class of 2025 president Megha Vemuri, an Indian-American student, boldly pronounced her pro-Palestinian message. Criticising the university’s ties with Israel, she called on fellow graduates to take a firm stand regarding the conflict.
Megha expressed her solidarity with the Palestinians wearing a red keffiyeh. Addressing the gathering comprising a crowd of graduates, families and faculty members, she said: “You showed the world that MIT wants a free Palestine.”
Vemuri acknowledged the uncertainty gripping academic institutions and the pressure being faced by students in the US.
“It is no secret that at this time, academic institutions across the country are shrouded in a dark cloud of uncertainty. There is a lot of fear in many of our hearts.”
She criticized the MIT’s research links with the Israeli military and said it was a source of shame and moral conflict for the institution. She referred to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as “genocide” and revealed that Israel is the only foreign military with which MIT has active research ties.
She made a key observation about the contrasting moments of the ceremony in Cambridge with the destruction in Gaza: “Right now, while we prepare to graduate and move forward with our lives, there are no universities left in Gaza.”
Her speech evoked a mixed reaction with a few of the students raising “Free, Free Palestine!” while others stayed silent.
She concluded her speech saying: “We carry with us the obligation to do everything we can to stop it. MIT is directly complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.”
Significantly, MIT has not responded to Vemuri’s speech or the status of its research ties with Israeli institutions.
Megha Vemuri is born and brought up in Alpharetta, Georgia but has her roots in Telugu states. She recently completed her undergraduate degree in computer science, neuroscience, and linguistics, and served as president of the graduating class.