Indian-Origin Princeton Student Arrested For Pro-Palestine Protests

The pro-Palestine protests by students are continuing in the US despite several arrests. Amid the ongoing arrests, Indian-origin Achinthya Sivalingan, a SPIA MPA second year, and Hassan Sayed, a fifth-year PhD candidate in economics were also arrested in the USA. As per reports, India is Closely monitoring the violation of Freedom of Expression in America.

Achinthya Sivalingam, a student of Princeton University has been arrested and banned from the university for participating in the Pro-Palestine protest. She has been arrested from the campus.

As per Business Today news, a disciplinary procedure has been pending against Sivalingam due to her conduct. Also, another student Hasan Sayed was arrested with her for setting up tents in the university’s courtyard area.

The two graduate students were detained for trespassing and are now "immediately barred from the campus. They also face disciplinary action," said Jennifer Morrill, a university spokesperson.

"The students were detained after repeated warnings from the Department of Public Safety to cease the activity and leave the area," she added, as reported by Princeton Alumni Weekly.

However, another spokesperson Michael Hotchkiss said in a statement that the institution has not ‘evicted’ anyone.

“The University has not ‘evicted’ anyone today. Under University protocol, Public Safety may initially accompany students barred from campus (regardless of reason) to their University housing to collect whatever belongings they require in the short term, until the specific terms of their bar from campus are determined by the designated administrator,” Hotchkiss said, as reported by News 18.

“The students barred from the main campus today are permitted to remain in their University-owned housing, as the designated administrator determined that their bar does not extend to their non-dormitory residences," he added further.

Sivalingam is pursuing a Master’s in Public Affairs (MPA) on International Development at Princeton and Sayed is a fifth-year PhD candidate in the economics department at the prestigious institution.

About Achinthya Sivalingan

She was born in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu and was raised in Columbus, Ohio. Before Princeton University, Ms Sivalingan studied world politics and economics at Ohio State University and was also an Intern at Harvard Law School. She had significant experience in policy issues. She worked with politics, the legal system, civil society organisations, movement building, and private philanthropy. 

Her previous roles include supporting policy and advocacy work for agricultural development, climate adaptation, and nutrition portfolios at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

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