Universities and students have been the frontrunners in the ongoing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. One such student was a German man from IIT Madras named Jakob Lindenthal.
ChintaBAR extends solidarity and gratitude to Jakob Lindenthal, for being part of struggles to protect the rights of people in this country and his concern for humanity. pic.twitter.com/4jgZLyVs7C
— ChintaBAR (@ChintaBAR) December 23, 2019
While the German exchange student was just exercising his right to freedom of expression, he was asked to leave the country by the immigration department right before completing his last semester in the college.
It has come to our notice that, Jakob Lindenthal, an MS exchange student from Germany in the department of Physics at IIT Madras has been asked to leave the country by the immigration department due to his participation in the anti CAA protests. pic.twitter.com/fKSgmkK0A0
— ChintaBAR (@ChintaBAR) December 23, 2019
As the student was compelled to leave suddenly by the authorities, he shared a rather sad picture of himself on his social media. The picture was of him with his bags packed at the airport and mentioned,
78 Kg of love for this country and 78 Kg of contempt for some of the people who rule it.
Thiruvananthapuram MP, Shashi Tharoor too showed his dismay and dissed the way Lindenthal was treated by the Indian authorities and backed him up.
This is dismaying. We used to be a proud democracy, an example to the world: https://t.co/M1MU3CyJVT No democracy punishes freedom of expression. I call on @DrRPNishank to instruct @iitmadras to withdraw the expulsion & allow India to hold its head high in the academic world.
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 24, 2019
Netizens too extended their gratitude to Lindenthal.
I agree. Freedom of speech and expression is fundamental to democracy. The government must be tolerant of alternative views of the people. It is ridiculous to send an exchange student back because he supported dissenting voices..
— Dr Jayaprakash S (@DrJayaprakashS1) December 24, 2019
This German student of IIT-Madras has been forced to leave India because he joined an anti CAA protest carrying a poster.
— Ishtiaq Khan (@ishtiaq787) December 24, 2019
One always has to pay the price standing 4 principal & Injustice.
Sorry, 4 the consequence u face brother, But thanks 4 listening to own conscious.
IIT Madras
Human rights issues affects all of us. It takes a person of integrity to stand up for what is right. That’s what education is supposed to teach. #DankeSchoenJakob
— Sukmm (@TheIndiaThatWas) December 24, 2019
Salute this hero.
— HistoryIsKind (@MM09021996) December 24, 2019
This is how you stand against #Fascism
Anywhere, Anytime and against Anything. #HitlerModi
We can’t thank him enough, we’re ashamed and sorry on behalf of our @BJP4India government.
— Yajik Kipa (@YajikK) December 24, 2019
This guy is a hero.
— Umar Farooq عمر فاروق (@Umarstar) December 24, 2019
The German student was scheduled to leave India after his exams next year in May 2020. He was completing his post-graduation in Physics from IIT Madras.
