On April 22, several hundred universities, colleges and other centres of learning in the United States issued a joint statement, severely criticising policies under the Trump administration and terming them an attack on academic freedom. It all started when, after assuming power, President Donald Trump's administration denied funding to Colombia University over its failure to prevent pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Succumbing to the Trump administration's demands in the wake of the revocation of $400 million in federal funding over campus protests, Columbia University reportedly made policy changes such as imposing restrictions on demonstrations, introducing new disciplinary procedures and immediately reviewing its Middle East curriculum.

Encouraged by the response from Colombia University, the American government tried to pressurise Harvard University also. President Trump ridiculed the university and sent a letter on April 11 which announced curtailment of federal funding. However, the Harvard University President, Alan M Garber took a stand, asserting in a statement that the "University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights."

Never in the history of America was academic freedom under attack like this - something that reflects an authoritarian mindset of the incumbents, attempting to control the universities' decision-making apparatus. The April 22 statement signed by the presidents of Harvard, Princeton, Brown and Hawaii universities and community colleges assailed "the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education". In their joint statement, the heads of eminent American centres of higher education said, "We........

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