“Attempts to silence scholars”: Mohan Dutta warns of coordinated far-right campaigns against academic freedom

Academic Mohan Dutta says coordinated harassment campaigns targeting his research and public opinions on social media are escalating, raising serious concerns about academic freedom and scholar safety amid the threat of organised political intimidation.

Speaking to thisquality, Dutta, who is Dean’s Chair Professor of Communication and Director of the Center for Culture-Centered Approach to Research and Evaluation (CARE) at Massey University, described years of coordinated pressure campaigns linked to his work on Hindutva nationalism, Islamophobia, settler colonialism, disinformation and far-right political networks.

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Image: Coordinated harassment campaigns targeting Mohan Dutta's research on Hindutva, Islamophobia and extremism have escalated into racialised abuse, doxxing attempts and institutional pressure campaigns. (File. / Supplied / Mohan Dutta @mjdutt)

Dutta is internationally recognised for developing the Culture-Centered Approach, a communication theory framework examining how power, inequality and marginalised communities intersect in public discourse. His academic work spans decolonisation and digital extremism. He has authored multiple books and peer-reviewed papers and currently leads CARE’s research programme examining disinformation and extremism.

He is an ICA Fellow and Distinguished Scholar of the National Communication Association, among the highest honours in the communications discipline internationally. ScholarGPS ranked Dutta among the world’s leading scholars in journalism and communication for social change, including a top-10 global ranking in his area of journalism research, with Massey University later highlighting the achievement. In 2025, he received the Massey University Research Medal, the university’s highest research honour.

In responses supplied to thisquality, Dutta said the attacks targeting him followed identifiable patterns seen internationally across far-right ecosystems imported from America. He described coordinated online swarm campaigns, institutional complaints, racialised abuse, doxxing attempts and pressure directed at Massey University following the publication of CARE’s 2021 white paper Cultural Hindutva and Islamophobia.

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“The migrant-baiting attack on me, an ethnic migrant scholar, is performed in the name of ‘free speech’ while simultaneously demanding deportation,” Dutta said.

Image: Mohan Dutta says coordinated campaigns targeting academics are designed to pressure institutions and silence politically inconvenient research under the guise of free speech and academic freedom. (File. / Supplied / Mohan Dutta @mjdutt)

The campaigns were not designed to engage with evidence or scholarship, but to pressure institutions into isolating or removing academics viewed as politically inconvenient.

“The freedom to question and test received wisdom is the freedom I defend unconditionally,” Dutta said.

Many of the attacks specifically sought to undermine Dutta’s academic credibility and public standing despite his international recognition within the field.

Many of the tactics reflected what Dutta describes in his research as “communicative inversion”, where concepts such as free speech and academic freedom are weaponised against scholars themselves.

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Police became involved after threats emerged in 2021, with safety plans put in place, while further complaints were filed following renewed targeting in 2025.

“The cumulative volume is heavy,” Dutta said, describing the impact the campaigns had on his family, safety and daily work.

He pointed to what he described as a broader pattern of Māori scholars, migrant academics and Palestine solidarity researchers facing public campaigns aimed at damaging reputations and careers, including Joanna Kidman, Papaarangi Reid, Phillip Borell and Emmy Rākete.

New Zealand law explicitly protects academic freedom under section 267 of the Education and Training Act, including the right of academics to “question and test received wisdom” and to state controversial or unpopular opinions.

Dutta said “attempts to silence scholars” for controversial research were fundamentally at odds with protections embedded in New Zealand legislation.

“The goal of harassment is not debate but expulsion. Academic freedom is not built for marginalised scholars unless it is reconstructed on a justice-based foundation,” Dutta said.

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Image: Massey University defended academic freedom amid pressure campaigns targeting research and commentary by Professor Mohan Dutta. (Supplied / Massey University)

In material provided to thisquality, Dutta argued universities should resist organised external pressure campaigns and defend the right of academics to pursue contentious research without fear of intimidation. He said legitimate scholarly debate should be encouraged, but coordinated racialised attacks, intimidation and campaigns seeking dismissal crossed a clear line.

Massey University defended Dutta’s academic freedom amid pressure campaigns linked to his research and commentary.

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