• Source:JND
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The Harvard International Review (HIR) is facing mounting criticism after unpublishing an article on Khalistani terrorism and its impact on India-Canada relations. The article, written by Indian student Zyna Dhillon, was taken down following complaints from Sikh organisations, including Harvard’s Sikh Chaplain. The decision has sparked backlash, with a petition launched to hold the Ivy League university accountable for what many see as an act of censorship.

The article, titled A Thorn in the Maple: How the Khalistan Question is Reshaping India-Canada Relations, was originally published on February 15, 2025. In it, Dhillon recounted the history of Khalistani terrorism in India, its growing influence in Canada, and its negative impact on diplomatic ties between the two nations. She argued that the Khalistani separatist movement lacked widespread support, stating, “Much of the support for the Khalistan movement today comes from a growing segment of Canada’s Sikh diaspora. Note, however, that this support comes from only a minority of Canadian Sikhs, and while there are many supporters of Khalistan in Canada, they do not represent the [Canadian] Sikh community as a whole.”

The article also echoed allegations from the Indian government that key leaders of the Khalistani movement had ties to terrorism. However, following complaints, HIR’s editors-in-chief, Sydney C. Black and Elizabeth R. Place, requested Dhillon make revisions to the piece. Dhillon refused, arguing that the article already maintained the “balance” she sought to achieve.

“I think the HIR buckled down under pressure, and the decision to remove the article was, in my opinion, a knee-jerk reaction,” Dhillon wrote in a statement.

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‘Lack Of Neutrality’

On February 22, the article was unpublished. In a joint statement, Black and Place justified their decision, stating that the article would remain removed unless Dhillon agreed to make the necessary edits. They asserted that the article failed to meet HIR’s editorial standards for neutrality, describing it as “opinionated journalism rather than the analytical reporting HIR has published for nearly 50 years.”


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