Pondicherry University authorities abruptly halted a student-organised football tournament after students displayed a Palestine banner during halftime of the final match. The incident, which took place on Sunday, has sparked debates on campus over administrative restrictions on student expression.
The final match of the tournament began at 1:00 p.m., but events took a dramatic turn at halftime when a section of students unfurled a Palestine solidarity banner. The move was met with swift action from university officials.
According to sources, the majority of the audience supported the display, but the administration intervened immediately, cutting power to the stadium and calling off the tournament.
Dr. A. Praveen, Director of Physical Education at Pondicherry University, defended the decision, asserting that the university is not a space for international solidarities and that this was not the time for freedom of expression.
“This is not the appropriate platform to engage in international political discourse. A university should focus on academics and sports, not external political issues,” Praveen reportedly told the students while instructing them to vacate the field.
A master’s student, who spoke to Maktoob on condition of anonymity, described the sequence of events leading to the abrupt cancellation. “Dr. Praveen, a professor from the Department of Physical Education, intervened as soon as the Palestine banner was raised during halftime. He was firm in stating that this is not a space for expressing solidarity with other countries and that it was not the time for freedom of speech and expression. Students were forced to disperse, and the final match was abandoned.”
What followed was a prolonged confrontation between students and the administration. Students engaged in lengthy discussions with university officials, urging them to allow the match to continue. The discussions stretched for over two hours, but the administration remained adamant.
A student who was present at the scene expressed frustration over the handling of the situation. “Cutting power to the stadium was completely unnecessary. It just escalated the situation further. Most of us supported the display, but the administration responded in a heavy-handed manner,” the student said.
As of now, the university has not released an official statement addressing the controversy.
