Indian-American undergrad from MIT torches alma mater and Israel at graduation ceremony

TOI correspondent from Washington : At an already fractious time in US academia, an Indian-American undergrad at the famed Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) torched her own alma mater's ties to the Israeli military and spoke up for Palestine in the face of growing pressure from the Trump administration on US institutions to clamp down on criticism of Israel.

Megha Vemuri, a senior class president at MIT, did not hold back during a graduation ceremony on Thursday, accusing Israel of trying to "wipe Palestine off the face of the earth," and lamenting "it is a shame that MIT is a part of it."

"Right now, while we prepare to graduate and move forward with our lives, there are no universities left in Gaza," Vemuri, who completed her undergraduate degree in computer science, neuroscience, and linguistics and served as president of the graduating class, said in remarks that was greeted with cheers from students at the convocation.

Vemuri trained her guns on MIT itself, recalling that students scored a major victory earlier this year, forcing MIT to end its partnership with Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer, whose drones and surveillance systems are saod to have been widely used in Israeli attacks on Gaza.

"The Israeli occupation forces are the only foreign military that MIT has research ties with. As scientists, engineers, academics, and leaders, we have a commitment to support life. Support aid efforts, call for an arms embargo, and keep demanding that MIT cuts the ties," Vemuri said.

MIT President Sally Kornbluth, who spoke immediately after Vemuri, ignored her criticism of MIT, and while acknowledging the institution valued freedom of expression she said "today is about the graduates," a sentiment shared by critics who accused her of political grandstanding instead of focusing on academics.

"Graduation speeches are meant to inspire, not divide. Turning a shared moment into a personal political stage, especially with such a charged issue, is unfair to fellow students," one critic wrote on social media, where clips of her speech went viral.

Others found her remarks courageous and inspirational. "Her speech makes me proud as an Indian! Well done here, on the right side of history," read one of hundreds of reactions on X, even as more extreme critics doxxed her and warned that she would never be able to get a job.

Vemuri's remarks came even as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the Trump administration would deny visas to foreign nationals who come to the United States to foment hatred against the Jewish community.

While few details are available on the young undergrad, she appears to be a US-born daughter of immigrants from India. Her social media profile shows she went to school in Alpharetta, Georgia, home to many healthcare, insurance, and manufacturing companies.