A New York City event featuring prominent Hindu supremacists is being touted as an invitation to send a positive message that “the world is one family.”
But many faith groups, advocacy groups and non-privileged caste groups say they are not convinced. They are concerned that Saturday’s rally at Madison Square Garden was more of a public effort to cover up the country’s record of discrimination and violence.
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The event in question is a Universal Oneness Celebration sponsored by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue, a nonprofit organization that promotes “greater peace and harmony.”
However, one of the keynote speakers will be Mohan Bhagwat, leader of the Hindu paramilitary organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). His organization has been accused of adopting discriminatory policies and inciting violence against India’s minorities, including Muslims, Christians and Sikhs.
Protests are expected outside Madison Square Garden to denounce Mr. Bhagwat’s appearance.
“This is a movement that has normalized mob violence against Muslims, attacks on Muslim men who have relationships with Hindu women, and bulldozing of Muslim homes,” said Safa Ahmed, a North Carolina Muslim community organizer who traveled to New York to participate in the protests.
She told Al Jazeera she was skeptical of event organizers’ claims to embrace the world as “one family.”
“They may talk about unity, but that is in stark contrast to the bloody reality faced by India’s minorities,” she says.
Overseas expansion
Supporters say Hindu nationalist groups are working to expand their influence in the United States, which is home to about 2.5 million Hindus.
To that end, they have used a variety of appeals to soften the RSS’s image, including celebrations of Hindu culture and campaigns highlighting anti-Hindu discrimination.
Sravya Tadepalli, deputy executive director of the Hindu Human Rights Group, sees Saturday’s rally as part of that trend. Her group is against the event.
“This is something of a goodwill trip to improve the public image of the RSS, a fascist paramilitary organization that has been carrying out mass violence against religious minorities in South Asia for decades,” Tadepalli told Al Jazeera.
“Although the groups supporting this movement promote it as an emphasis on inclusivity and a broad appeal to Hindu history, in reality the RSS claims just the opposite.”
But critics point out that Hindu nationalists are also trying to cultivate ties with the global far right, emphasizing a shared belief in the alleged threat posed by Islam and secular elites.
The RSS is widely considered to be the ideological parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has ruled India since 2014 and is seeking to rebuild the country along Hindu nationalist lines.
In remarks at the 2024 National Conservative Conference in Washington, DC, Bharatiya Janata Party Vice President Ram Madhav said conservatives in the West should look to India as an example of how to defeat what he called the “leftist, liberal, Marxist, radical Islamist cabal.”
modi model
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi entered politics as a senior member of the RSS before becoming the leader of the BJP, and throughout his leadership he championed Hindu nationalism.
Like Mr. Bhagwat, he too had a message for his overseas supporters in the United States.
For example, in September 2019, the prime minister addressed an audience of 50,000 people: “Hello, Modi!” Rally in Texas.
The event highlighted Mr. Modi’s appeal among Indians living abroad and was one of the largest in U.S. history. US President Donald Trump, a fellow far-right leader, also joined Modi on stage.
However, such an appearance was also controversial. Before becoming prime minister in 2014, Mr. Modi was banned from entering the United States for his role in the 2002 massacre of Muslims in Gujarat.
Prime Minister Modi faced accusations that he turned a blind eye to the killings and even offered support.
But despite facing protests, Mr. Modi remains hugely popular in India and consistently ranks as one of the world’s most popular leaders. An India Today magazine poll this month found him to be India’s top choice for prime minister, despite his sluggish approval ratings.
divided diaspora
Still, support campaigns to restore the RSS’s image abroad have met with limited success.
For example, a 2024 survey found that while Mr. Modi enjoys near-majority support among Indian Americans for his performance as prime minister, 70% of respondents agree that his comments exemplify a growing threat to India’s minorities.
Mr. Bhagwat’s scheduled appearance at Madison Square Garden similarly sparked debate over his controversial commentary and leadership.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent initiative within the federal government, called for the revocation of Bhagwat’s visa in a statement on Wednesday.
The commission warned that Bhagwat, along with other RSS members and Indian officials, was “complicit in violations of religious freedom.”
“The religious freedom situation in India continues to deteriorate, with frequent incidents of violence and incitement targeting religious minority communities,” said USCIRF Chairman Asif Mahmood. He called on the United States to implement targeted sanctions.
When asked about Mr. Bhagwat’s speech at a press conference this week, New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani also expressed opposition to the RSS’ message.
“Frankly, it’s very disturbing to see a movement emerge that is premised on a xenophobic vision of any country, and I am deeply opposed to this movement myself,” Mamdani said, referring to her Indian-American background.
He added that he “does not support gatherings,” but said he doubts the city has the authority to cancel private events.
Ahmed, a community organizer in North Carolina, said he feels the backlash to Saturday’s event reflects a growing coalition in the Indian diaspora that brings together the voices of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and the underprivileged.
“There is a vocal minority emerging within the diaspora and a new majority that does not believe in the politics of Mr. Modi and the RSS and does not want to see them gain traction here,” Ahmed said.
She predicted Saturday’s event would ultimately backfire. “I’m sure Mr. Bhagwat will receive a strong reaction that he is not welcome.”
