In a step that has incited scathing criticism from the academic community and human rights organizations, the government of India has withdrawn the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) from the British Kashmiri scholar Dr. Nitasha Kaul, Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster.
The revocation, on the grounds of her purported “anti-India activities,” has once again brought the question of academic freedom and transnational repression to the forefront.
Academic Denied Entry and Subsequently Stripped of OCI
Dr. Nitasha Kaul made public the news through a social media update on Sunday, posting excerpts of the official communication she received from the Indian government. The notice charged her with being driven by “malice and complete disregard for facts or history,” an accusation attached to her previously refused entry into India in February, when she was to deliver a speech at a conference in Bengaluru.
“Recognize that arresting scholars in India for vocalizing against hate is inextricably linked with taking away access to nation and family for scholars abroad,” she tweeted on X. “Idea is to send a signal — do not dare challenge us within and do not dare dissect what is happening to send message to audiences abroad.”
A country that calls itself a secular democratic republic is not a home run by a patriarch. Calling people antinational & denying them access to the country of birth & family is the hallmark of authoritarian regimes — keeping citizenry fooled by metaphor, rhetoric, emotions so they…
— Professor Nitasha Kaul, PhD (@NitashaKaul) May 19, 2025
Government Cites Disaffection Towards Constitution
As per the OCI guidelines laid down by the High Commission of India in London, the Indian government can cancel a person’s OCI registration if they express disaffection towards the Constitution of India.” In Kaul’s case, the letter mentioned “numerous inimical writings, speeches and journalistic activities at various international forums and on social media platforms” as reasons for making the decision, stating these were against “India and its institutions on the issues of India’s sovereignty.
Global Concerns Over Democratic Principles
Responding to the cancellation, Dr. Nitasha Kaul called the move a “bad faith, vindictive, cruel example of transnational repression,” and declared she is being penalized for her “scholarly research on anti-minority and anti-democratic policies.”
Although the High Commission of India in London has not made a statement yet, the incident raises urgent questions about the space for dissent, scholarly critique, and democratic practice for diaspora scholars.
