Four members of the U.S. Congress have sent a bipartisan letter to Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway, expressing significant concern over an upcoming event titled “Hindutva in America: A Threat to Equality and Religious Pluralism.” The lawmakers argue that the event, hosted by the university’s Center for Security, Race and Rights (CSRR), risks conflating a diverse religion, Hinduism, with a specific political ideology, Hindutva, thereby potentially stigmatizing and targeting Hindu students on campus.
Key Concerns in the Lawmakers’ Letter
The bipartisan group of Congressmen—Democrats Suhas Subramanyam, Shri Thanedar, Sanford Bishop, and Republican Dr. Rich McCormick—sent the letter to advocate for the safety and inclusion of Hindu students. Their primary points of concern include:
- Conflation of Religion and Ideology: The letter urges the university to “distinguish between extremist ideologies and the beliefs of ordinary practitioners.” Critics of the event, including Hindu-American advocacy groups, fear the conference’s focus will blur the line between the political ideology of Hindutva and the faith of Hinduism, leading to anti-Hindu sentiment.
- Student Safety and Prejudice: The lawmakers warned that the event’s framing could make Hindu students “feel targeted or unsafe” at a time when Hindu Americans, like other minority communities, face threats and violence. They mentioned recent acts of vandalism at Hindu temples in the US as evidence of a concerning climate.
- Institutional Endorsement: The Congressmen did not call for the event’s cancellation, but requested that Rutgers “disassociate its institutional branding” from the conference to project a message of neutrality and non-endorsement of the event’s specific messaging.
The Event and Its Context
The event, scheduled for October 27, is a launch for a report also titled “Hindutva in America,” which was prepared by the CSRR.
- Organizers’ Stance: The CSRR, led by Professor Sahar Aziz, maintains that the focus is strictly on Hindutva, which the report describes as a “Hindu-supremacist political movement,” explicitly distinguishing it from the religion of Hinduism. The report aims to explore the political ideology’s influence on American civil society and politics.
- Controversial Recommendations: The report has drawn sharp criticism for suggesting that US authorities should investigate and potentially require US-based Hindu organizations to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), and even for the US government to impose sanctions or refuse entry to individuals allegedly supporting anti-minority violence in India.
Backlash from Hindu-American Advocacy Groups
The Congressmen’s intervention follows an extensive campaign by several Hindu-American organizations, including the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) and the Hindu American Foundation (HAF).
- “Anti-Hindu” Accusations: These groups have condemned the event, calling it “anti-Hindu” and a misuse of a prestigious university’s platform. They claim that the organizers and the report use “discredited sources and one-sided narratives” to unfairly categorize mainstream Hindu organizations as extremist proxies.
- Real-World Impact: CoHNA reported that over the past two weeks, they have heard from “many students feeling vulnerable and concerned” that their faith and identity are at risk on campus due to the controversial event. HAF has also released an open letter urging Rutgers to remove its official logos from the event to avoid the perception of institutional endorsement of what they view as a biased, ideological attack on their community.
