Four United States Congress members have penned a letter to Rutgers University in New Jersey, expressing worry about an upcoming event titled ‘Hindutva in America: A Threat to Equality and Religious Pluralism.’ The legislators criticized the event, scheduled for October 27, labeling it as politically driven and unfairly singling out Hindu students.
Representatives Stanford Bishop, Suhas Subramanyam, Rich McCormick, and Shree Thanedar jointly sent a bipartisan communication to Rutgers on Monday, showing solidarity with Hindu students who feel targeted by the event.
The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), actively opposing the event, reported sending over 10,000 emails to Rutgers officials from students, parents, and community members, urging the university to distance itself from what the group termed an “anti-Hindu” program.
CoHNA clarified that it was not advocating for the event’s cancellation but rather seeking Rutgers to disavow the event’s message. The organization revealed sending an additional 4,000 messages to state and federal lawmakers to highlight their concerns.
In a statement, CoHNA expressed gratitude for the backing of vulnerable Hindu students who might feel marginalized by the event’s portrayal of them as extremists. The group drew parallels between the Rutgers event and the 2021 Dismantling Global Hindutva conference, which faced similar criticism for allegedly stereotyping Hindu beliefs.
CoHNA disclosed that students had reached out feeling unsafe or targeted based on their religion and identity. While supporting freedom of speech, the organization urged Rutgers to distance itself from the event to safeguard institutional neutrality.
Rutgers University has yet to respond to both the lawmakers’ letter and CoHNA’s assertions.