Censorship – Academia

A private university in Tamil Nadu’s Chennai on Thursday suspended an assistant professor for criticising Operation Sindoor, saying that she was involved in “unethical activities”. S Lora, an assistant professor associated with the Directorate of Career Centre at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, posted status messages on her WhatsApp on civilian casualties.

“Killing innocent lives for your own bloodlust and for your election stunts is not bravery and it’s not justice. It is a cowardice act!”, she wrote on her status. She also warned of uncertainties such as lockdowns and food shortages. The screenshots of the post were shared by a user on X (formerly Twitter). There are claims that the screenshot was taken by some right-wing students and amplified on social media. This was further amplified by some Tamil Nadu based digital platforms.

Hours later, the private university’s registrar, S Ponnusamy, released a suspension order against Lora.