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Indian origin MIT student Megha Vemuri banned from graduation ceremony following pro-Palestine speech

Further instructing the students to join her in the tradition of turning the ring, Vemuri noted that, "The MIT name is directly complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people. So we carry with us the obligation, to do everything we can, to stop it."

South First Desk

Published May 31, 2025 | 3:06 PM ⚊ Updated May 31, 2025 | 3:06 PM

Megha Vemuri

Megha Vemuri. (Screengrab)

Synopsis: On May 29, MIT Class President Megha Vemuri delivered a pro-Palestine speech at commencement, criticizing the university’s ties to Israel’s military. She urged MIT to cut those ties and condemned its complicity in Palestine’s ‘genocide’. The next day, MIT barred her and her family from graduation, citing violation of campus expression rules.

On Thursday, 29 May, Megha Vemuri, an Indian origin student, and class of 2025 president at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) spoke in support of Palestine, and condemned the university’s ties with Israel’s defence and military industries.

Following this, the Indian origin student has been banned from attending the graduation ceremony. According to the Boston Globe report, Vemuri was scheduled to be marshal at the undergraduate commencement but received an email from MIT Chancellor Melissa Nobles, on Friday, 30 May morning that said she could not attend the event and that she and her family were banned from campus for most of the day.

“Participation in Commencement activities is a privilege. You deliberately and repeatedly misled Commencement organizers. While we acknowledge your right to free expression, your decision to lead a protest from the stage, disrupting an important institute ceremony, was a violation of MIT’s time, place and manner rules for campus expression,” Nobles wrote in the email.

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Megha Vemuri’s speech

Speaking at MIT’s 2025 commencement, the video of which is now widely circulated on social media, Megha Vemuri started by praising her fellow classmates, for standing in support of free Palestine.

Wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional scarf, which has become a symbol of support for Palestine, Megha Vemuri said, “You showed the world that MIT wants a free Palestine. Last spring, MIT’s undergraduate body and graduate student union voted overwhelmingly to cut ties with genocidal Israeli military, you called for a permanent cease fire in Gaza, and you stood in solidarity with the pro-Palestine activists on campus. You faced threats, intimidation, and suppression coming from all directions, especially your own university officials, but you prevailed because the MIT community that I know would never tolerate a genocide.”

“Right now, while we prepare to graduate and move forward with our lives, there are no universities left in Gaza. We are watching Israel try to wipe Palestine off the face of the earth, and it is a shame that MIT is a part of it.”

Vemuri said that “Israeli occupation forces are the only foreign military that MIT has research ties with. This means that Israel’s assault on the Palestinian people is not only aided and abetted by our country, but our school. As scientists, engineers, academics, and leaders, we have a commitment to support life, support aid efforts, and call for an arms embargo, and keep demanding, now as alumni, that MIT cuts the ties.”

Further instructing the students to join her in the tradition of turning the ring, Vemuri noted that, “The MIT name is directly complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people. So we carry with us the obligation, to do everything we can, to stop it.”

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‘Fearless to take a righteous stand’

While Vemuri’s speech received applause from the students, and others for her being fearless, many also condemned the act, calling it “hijacking the student’s special day.”

ED Mathews, former United Nations spokesperson, taking to X, applauded Megha Vemuri, and wrote: “Proud of this young lady for being fearless to take a righteous stand at a time when such moral clarity and boldness are becoming rare. Wishing you a brilliant future.”

Another social media user, also supporting Megha Vemuri wrote, “The students are standing up for Palestine, yet again. Shame on everyone who’s silent.”

Meanwhile, the MIT Coalition Against Apartheid condemned the decision of University to bar Megha Vemuri from the graduation ceremony, stating, “This attack on Megha exposes the persistent attack on pro-Palestine voices and the mounting pressure on MIT to drop all military contracts with the Israeli ministry of defense (IMOD). MIT currently accepts IMOD funding for its ai-assisted killer drones program.”

However, the student was also subjected to hate, and online abuse.

A social media user by the name Sameer, sharing the speech wrote: “Megha Vemuri, President Class of 2025, MIT & a woke deracinated Hindu used her graduation speech podium to speak for “Palestine” instead of talking about her batch. It’s incredible how these same woke Hindus choose to ignore plight of Bangladeshis Hindus.”

Another account by the name Indian Americans, claimed that “Hindus are being brainwashed.”

They further wrote: “At MIT, the pro-Hamas commencement speaker this week was an Indian-American Hindu woman. Hindus are being brainwashed.”

(Edited by Sumavarsha)

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