New Delhi, October 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
More than 400 Indian-origin students, researchers and alumni associated with leading universities across 27 countries have signed a statement condemning attempts to undermine public confidence in India’s constitutional institutions and the use of what they described as “anarchic” street protests to delegitimise democratic processes.
The signatories of the statement, titled “Spare India from Anarchy”, include individuals affiliated with prominent academic institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Princeton University, Harvard University, Yale University, Stanford University, Columbia University, the London School of Economics (LSE) and the National University of Singapore.
The statement, circulated on Monday, warned against attempts to subvert constitutional democracy under the pretext of defending it.
“We urge all social and political forces to take cognisance of our distress and desires and resolve differences through debate, discussion, dialogue and dissent under the roof of constitutional institutions that our venerable founding fathers created for us. India needs to set an example for the democratic world, for all the right reasons. We hope wisdom will prevail,” the statement said.
The signatories are currently based in or have studied in countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Georgia and the Philippines, among others.
They reaffirmed their confidence in the resilience of Indian democracy, stating that the country’s constitutional institutions had flourished with adequate checks and balances.
The statement alleged that an attempt was being made to sow doubts about Indian democracy by using matters that are sub judice and amplifying them through street protests involving forces that, according to the signatories, have historically and philosophically opposed constitutional governance.
“An unconscionable and devious plan of sowing seeds of doubt in Indian democracy has been hatched by weaponising sub-judice matters, which is then amplified on the streets by leaning on anarchist forces, which have historically and philosophically never believed in constitutional form of governance. All in the name of saving democracy. We remain amazed at the irony of all,” the statement said.
Describing themselves as informed individuals with a stake in India’s future, the signatories said they felt deeply anguished by the situation, adding that they continued to identify themselves as Indians while travelling and living abroad.
They also invoked Dr B. R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, saying he had warned against such developments. According to the statement, Ambedkar had urged Indians to uphold constitutional methods and abandon revolutionary violence, which he described as the “grammar of anarchy”.
“Increasingly, anarchy is becoming an expression of choice – ready to supplant the spirit and wisdom of fraternite,” the statement said.
Among the signatories are Surabhi Hodigere of Harvard University; Devansh Sharma and Samyukta Shrivatsa of Stanford University; Ashik Mayakonda of the University of Cambridge; Nitish Rai Parwani, Ashish Gaurav, Shaoni Kar and Mukund Madhav Sharma of the University of Oxford; Niyati Yadav of the University of Manchester; and Rajneesh Kumar Mishra of Yeungnam University (YNU).
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