An event in New York City is being promoted as a ‘goodwill tour’ for a prominent Hindu nationalist, Mohan Bhagwat, the leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu paramilitary organization. The event, held at Madison Square Garden, is intended to convey a message of unity and peace, a sentiment that has been met with growing concern from faith groups, advocacy organizations, and marginalized communities. However, these groups are skeptical that this event represents a genuine effort towards inclusivity.
At issue is the Universal Oneness Celebration, hosted by the American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue, a nonprofit organization that purports to advance ‘greater peace and harmony’. At the center of this debate is the event’s focus on Bhagwat’s appearance, which is being viewed as a high-profile initiative to whitewash a history of discrimination and violence against minorities, particularly India’s Muslim, Christian, and Sikh populations.
One of Bhagwat’s key speakers is Mohan Bhagwat, the leader of the RSS, a paramilitary organization accused of embracing discriminatory policies and fueling violence. The RSS has been linked to incidents of communal violence in South Asia, including attacks on Muslim, Christian, and Sikh communities. Protests are expected outside Madison Square Garden to denounce Bhagwat’s presence.
Safa Ahmed, a Muslim community organiser in North Carolina, who has travelled to New York to join the protests, stated that she is skeptical about the event organizers’ claims about embracing the world as ‘one family’. She told Al Jazeera that, ‘They may speak about unity, but it’s in stark contrast with the bloody reality faced by minorities in India.’
Advocates argue that Hindu nationalist groups are actively working to expand their influence in the United States, where roughly 2.5 million Hindus live. To achieve this, they utilize a range of appeals to soften the image of the RSS, including celebrations of Hindu culture and campaigns to highlight anti-Hindu discrimination. The organization behind the event, Hindus for Human Rights, has presented it as a broad appeal to Hindu history with an emphasis on inclusivity, which Tadepalli, the deputy executive director, contends is a deliberate misrepresentation.
Critics point to the RSS’s association with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has ruled India since 2014 and has sought to remake the country along Hindu nationalist lines. Like Bhagwat, Modi has taken his message on the road, addressing overseas supporters in the US. In September 2019, for instance, the prime minister addressed a crowd of 50,000 at a ‘Howdy, Modi!’ rally in Texas. The event underscored Modi’s appeal among Indians living abroad and was one of the largest such events in US history. US President Donald Trump, another far-right leader, even joined Modi on stage.
However, such appearances have been controversial, and before becoming prime minister in 2014, Modi was banned from entering the US due to his leadership during a 2002 massacre of Muslim residents in Gujarat. Modi faced accusations of turning a blind eye to the slayings and even offering his support.
Even as he faces protests, Modi remains immensely popular in India, consistently ranking as one of the most popular leaders in the world. A survey this month from the magazine India Today found that he is also the top choice for prime minister in India, despite slipping approval ratings.
For instance, a 2024 survey found that, while Modi enjoyed near-majority support among Indian Americans for his performance as prime minister, 70 percent of respondents acknowledged that his rhetoric exemplified a growing threat to minorities in India.
Bhagwat’s planned appearance at Madison Square Garden has ignited debate over his controversial commentary and leadership. In a statement on Wednesday, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent initiative within the federal government, called for Bhagwat’s visa to be revoked. The commission warned that Bhagwat was ‘complicit in religious freedom violations’, along with other RSS members and Indian officials.
In response, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani spoke out against the RSS’s messaging. She said she does not ‘support the rally’ but said she doubted the city had the jurisdiction to cancel a private event.
Ahmed, the community organiser from North Carolina, said she feels the backlash to Saturday’s event reflects a growing coalition in the Indian diaspora — one that brings together Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, and unprivileged-caste voices. She predicted that Saturday’s event will ultimately backfire. ‘I’m very confident that Bhagwat will be met with a resounding rejection that he is not welcome,’ she said.
Source: Al Jazeera
