The Oxford Union, founded in 1823, has long been regarded as one of the world’s foremost platforms for rigorous debate and fearless exchange of ideas. For two centuries, it welcomed statesmen, scientists, revolutionaries and thinkers. From Winston Churchill to Albert Einstein, it earned a reputation as a temple of open discourse guided by the principle of seeking truth above all else. Its motto, “Non sibi sed toti", translating as not for one, but for all, encapsulated a commitment to universal truth-seeking.

Yet in recent years, the Union has repeatedly allowed its prestige to be exploited for partisan propaganda, particularly in debates involving contentious subjects like Pakistan and terrorism. The events of November 27, 2025, represent a particularly stark illustration of this erosion.

Senior Advocate J Sai Deepak, a prominent legal scholar and author of the widely acclaimed book India, Bharat and Pakistan, was formally invited in July 2025 by the incumbent President of the Oxford Union, Moosa Harraj, to oppose the motion “This House Believes That India’s Response to Pakistan is a Populist Strategy Sold as Security Policy".

The originally announced Pakistani speakers included former Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, former Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, and Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr Mohammad Faisal. On the Indian side, several high-profile names were circulated in the media like clickbait. Most, like India’s former Union Minister Subramanian Swamy, had either declined months earlier or, like the Congress MP from India, Sachin Pilot, had never even received formal invitations.

Just two days before the event, the Union urged Sai Deepak to assemble a UK-based team, citing last-minute cancellations, at extremely short notice. He promptly proposed Jammu & Kashmir expert Manu Khajuria and Dharmic scholar Pt Satish K Sharma as capable opposition speakers.

Hours before the debate was scheduled to begin, Sai Deepak, already in the United Kingdom, was informed at 3.13 PM that the Pakistani speakers had not arrived in London. The indication was almost as if they were formally cancelling the debate, as it would have been a pointless exercise to go ahead without the heavyweight names arguing for the motion.

It later emerged that the Union President had known since 10 am that the delegation had not landed in the UK, yet chose to........

© News18