Francesca Orsini, a prominent United Kingdom-based scholar specializing in Hindi literature and South Asian culture, was reportedly denied entry into India and deported on Monday. Arriving at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi after a flight from Hong Kong, Orsini, a professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London, was informed of her blacklisting by Indian authorities. Sources indicate that the decision stems from alleged violations of her visa conditions. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has reportedly placed Orsini on a ‘black list’ since March of this year. Officials stated that entering the country on a tourist visa while engaging in activities deemed a violation of its terms is a common ground for such measures, following standard international practices. Orsini, who holds an undergraduate degree in Hindi from Venice University and has pursued advanced studies at the Central Institute of Hindi and Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, has dedicated her career to researching Hindi and Urdu literature. Her published works include influential titles like ‘Multilingual Literary Culture and World Literature’ and ‘The Hindi Public Sphere 1920-1940: Language and Literature in the Age of Nationalism’. She has been a regular visitor to India for research and cultural exchange. This incident has drawn criticism from several Indian academics and public figures, who have decried the deportation as an affront to scholarship and intellectual freedom.
