Satyam Surana, the Indian student known for courageously retrieving the Tricolour amidst an attack on the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom last year, is now speaking out against alleged hate and smear campaigns targeted at him during this year’s student union elections at the London School of Economics (LSE).
Satyam has claimed that a well-planned campaign was initiated against him, associating him with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and labeling him a ‘fascist’ just hours before voting commenced.
The Pune-born student, currently pursuing an LLM at LSE, revealed that his posters were ripped, defaced, and labeled with derogatory remarks like “anyone but Satyam.”
Allegedly, messages circulated in various LSE groups, branding him as a BJP supporter, fascist, Islamophobe, and transphobe. Screenshots of his social media posts, merely praising the BJP government, were used to fuel the campaign against him.
Despite having a non-political manifesto focused on campus issues, the hate campaign derailed his electoral chances.
Satyam believes that the smear campaign was orchestrated by left-wing groups, targeting him due to his association with India’s incumbent BJP government.
He alleges that the hate campaign involved politically motivated individuals against the BJP government, unable to digest India’s rise under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
While the impact of the campaign was profound, Satyam received support from many who stood by him during this challenging time. However, he expressed disappointment that fellow Indian students were involved in circulating messages questioning India’s sovereignty.
The incident highlights the challenges faced by Indian students abroad, where political affiliations and ideologies intertwine with campus activities, often leading to polarization and hostility.
