Shockwaves shook the academic world as panicky foreign students, some of them mid-course, wondered what awaited them now that Harvard had lost its SEVP status
Back in the day, “Harvard-returned” enjoyed a special cache.
There weren’t that many Indians either bright enough or rich enough to make the cut. Oxford-Cambridge-Harvard -- that was the ultimate dream of ambitious parents. “My beta/beti is studying at Harvard”, has been a proud boast for Papaji and Mummyji for decades. A “Harvard-returned” guy was considered a trophy husband, and bagging one automatically elevated the girl’s family, while the bridegroom’s parivar automatically added a few zeroes to the dowry. After all, the money invested in that pricey, prestigious degree had to be recovered… loans needed to be paid off. If the bride was a Harvard grad, it was seen as compensation for other shortcomings (“not fair enough… too short…”). Harvard also gave our students a platinum edge in the competitive job market. Parents willingly sacrificed personal goals and comforts to get the kid into hallowed Harvard. Coaches made a killing out of filling in tedious applications and prepping students for the big day, often writing their letters and drafting essays for a steep fee.
Recently, thousands of Harvard dreams got shattered. The Donald was at it again, being petty, vicious and spiteful. Kristi Noem, US homeland security secretary, announced that the Trump administration had revoked Harvard’s authority to enrol international students (6,800 strong, and at risk). Shockwaves shook the academic world as panicky foreign students, some of them mid-course, wondered what awaited them now that Harvard had lost its SEVP status. Desi students and post-graduate scholars number between 500 to 800, some of them engaged in long-term doctoral or multi-year graduate programmes. Harrowed parents back home, caught totally off guard, scrambled to find a way around the harsh edict which directly affects the future of these kids facing potential deportation. Suddenly, for thousands of Harvard hopefuls, that dream came crashing down and turned into the worst nightmare. Ms Noem has cited “racism” on campus, accusing Harvard of being hostile to Jewish students while spying on them. She has also accused Harvard of fostering violence and coordinating with the Communist Party of China on campus. Beware: Mr Trump has spotted a Red Star looming over the campus. These are very serious charges which were challenged in court by Dr Alan M. Garber, Harvard’s president, writing: “We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action.’’ US federal judge Allison D. Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order against the Trump administration’s edict, saying its implementation would cause “immediate and irreparable injury to the university”. The odds are favouring Harvard for now. Till then, it’s suspense as usual.
The completely delusional US President seems to be on a rampage to insult dignitaries invited by him to the Oval Office, by brazenly ambushing them, cameras rolling. It happened with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky… and the diplomatic community gagged in disbelief. It was repeated with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who was accused of the “genocide” of white farmers and humiliated by the host, when Mr Trump ordered his staff to “turn the lights down’’ so he could show his guest a “couple of things” on television. It is to the credit of Cyril Ramaphosa that he maintained his dignity and poise through the verbal assault without once losing his cool, as Mr Trump went into attack mode, snarled and ranted through the televised encounter to the horror of the watching world.
Instead of retaliating or even repudiating Mr Trump, Mr Ramaphosa smiled through the onslaught, before he scornfully said, “I wish I had a plane to give you”, referring to the generous gift of a Boeing 747 presented by Qatar to President Trump. Mr Ramaphosa mildly added: “You wanted to see drama and something big happening… I’m sorry we disappointed you somewhat.”
“Make America Crude Again” seems to be Mr Trump’s main objective at such orchestrated events, clearly designed to impress fellow Americans and show the rest of the world who’s boss. The real boss (Elon Musk) was also present for this round of public shaming of a guest, but remained in the shadows.
In our own neighbourhood, a lot is afoot, with the self-elevation of Asim Munir -- from general to field-marshal, in one smooth, face-saving move! Imran Khan mocked the newly-minted supremo, saying “king” was a more appropriate title, given Munir’s arrogance and style of functioning. According to the Pakistani grapevine, the hawkish field-marshal is smitten. And the lady who stole his heart is none other than the very becoming Maryam Nawaz Sharif, 51, chief minister of Punjab, the first woman in Pakistan to hold such a position. She is of Kashmiri-Punjabi descent, the eldest of four children of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his wife Kulsoom, married at 19, with three children of her own. There’s some controversy over her academic credentials, but what does it matter? At the moment, the field-marshal’s heart is reportedly going dhak- dhak for the powerful beauty, who also wants to “show” India. Munir is the only the second Army chief in Pakistan’s history to be named field-marshal, after Ayub Khan. If people across the border are jittery about Munir taking complete control of their tattered country, it is understandable. Licking his wounds after India’s Operation Sindoor, while trying to save face in front of his own people, can be a monumental challenge for the “jihadi general”. Well, till Munir gets used to India’s new normal, perhaps his lady love can provide some comfort while he slowly eats his words about the absurd “two-nation” theory he floated.
Amusingly enough, Operation Sindoor became a major fashion statement at Cannes 2025, when Aishwarya Rai Bachchan walked the red carpet with an even brighter sindoor in the parting of her hair. Fans and critics gasped as they lauded her for the triple whammy -- in one go, she accomplished a lot with that “ek chutki sindoor’’. She proudly flaunted nationalism, patriotism and matrimony on her forehead, burying divorce rumours, while flashing her Indian/Hindu identity.
The Cannes jamboree is no longer as “exclusif” as the French would like it – it’s filled with random people who have nothing to do with cinema. Most of these wannabees show up after shelling out over Rs 30 lakhs to be seen on that blessed red carpet. No one knows or cares who these nonentities are. One unidentified woman grabbed eyeballs by wearing a ghastly necklace featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s images embedded in prominent lockets, which nestled on her ample bosom. While Modi fans often wear their love for him on the sleeve, this may mark the first time his photographs found a landing place on a buxom woman’s cleavage. We are not complaining! Hurrah for “Sindoor Power”!
