Meet Shruthi Kumar: Harvard Student Slams University Over Gaza Protest Response

At Harvard University's recent commencement ceremony, a graduating student deviated from her planned speech to criticise the institution's treatment of student protests. Indian-Origin student, Shruthi Kumar, who was chosen to deliver the undergraduate class's English commencement remarks, used the opportunity to draw attention to what she saw as Harvard's injustices against students pushing for Palestinian rights. Kumar, one of three students chosen to speak at the graduation, deviated from her prepared address titled "The Power of Not Knowing."

Kumar's thoughts were mainly endorsed by other  Harvard students. More than 1,000 students walked out of the event as part of a staged protest, many waving Palestinian flags or banners demanding an end to genocide.

The Unscripted Critique

Kumar's impromptu speech drew a lot of attention since she showed solidarity with 13 pro-Palestine students who were forbidden from graduating owing to their participation in campus demonstrations. She expressed her discontent with what she regarded as a lack of tolerance for free speech and civil disobedience on campus, receiving applause and a standing ovation.

The controversy grew as reports surfaced that, despite a majority decision by the university's faculty of arts and sciences in favour of granting degrees to the protesting students, the Harvard Corporation, the university's governing body, opted to halt their graduation.

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“As I stand here today, I must take a moment to recognize my peers—the 13 undergraduates in the class of 2024 that will not graduate today,” said Kumar in her impromtu speech. She added, “I am deeply disappointed by the intolerance for freedom of speech and the right to civil disobedience on campus. The students had spoken. The faculty had spoken. Harvard, do you hear us?”

Maria Ressa, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and journalist, cautioned Harvard not to repress student protesters. "Harvard, you are being tested," Ressa explained. “The campus protests are testing everyone in America. Protests give voice; they shouldn’t be silenced.”

Recently, police broke up a pro-Palestine student demonstration at the University of Michigan's Ann Arbour campus and also cracked down on a demonstration at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. At least six student protesters were detained there.

Who Is Shruthi Kumar?

Kumar, the eldest daughter of South Asian immigrants, is the first in her family to attend college in the US. She was raised in the Great Plains of Nebraska, near cattle ranches and cornfields, and went to Marian High School. She is also the founder of GoYogi, a non-profit organisation that promotes mental health education and has served as President of the Harvard South Asian Association since May 2022. She also co-directs Harvard University's Wellness Educator Programme. She is fluent in English, Kannada, and Tamil, with an elementary knowledge of Spanish. She had interned at the University of Nebraska Medical Centre, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other organisations.