In the backdrop of the prevailing tension between India and Pakistan, the organisers of Techfest 2017 at Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) have decided to not invite students from Pakistan for its science and technology festival to be held in December, organisers at IIT-B said.
Students from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Russia, Japan, South Korea, and Italy registered for the Techfest after an invitation was sent to these countries through respective embassies. However, Pakistan has been kept out of the list, organisers at IIT-B said.
"We have been given strict instructions that we don't invite participants from Pakistan. So there has been no e-mail, or any form of invitation sent to students from Pakistan. But since everyone has access to our website and social media, 2-4 students have registered for one event, but there has been no confirmation from their end," Anirudh Poddar, Media Co-ordinator, Techfest IIT-B told DNA.
Another student, Himmat Singh Rajput, from IIT-B who is part of the organising team confirmed that this year IIT-B has not sent any invitation to Pakistan for the Techfest.
Last year, in the backdrop of tensions at India-Pakistan border, a contingent of Pakistani students had registered but did not participate in the festival. IIT-B had claimed, that there was no proper response on part of the students from Pakistan. The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leaders had also warned Pakistani artistes and actors to leave India in 2016, two months prior the Techfest.Every year the Tectfest gets around 1.50 lakh footfall on an average for the three-day fest.
