A Panel Lacking Any Hindu Presence Sought to Define Hinduism After Shutting out Hindu Voices
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., Oct. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ —Â The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) strongly condemns Monday’s event, “Hindutva in America: A Threat to Equality and Religious Pluralism,“ at Rutgers University that has drawn bipartisan criticism from Members of Congress and widespread outrage from the Hindu community, both on and off campus
The event, framed as an academic inquiry, featured a panel that did not include a single practicing Hindu but, nevertheless, made sweeping, uninformed claims about the faith. Notably, the non-Hindu panelists labored to make an artificial and, frankly, preposterous distinction between Hinduism and Hindutva; and when practicing Hindus asked questions, they were shut down.Â
The talk itself was peppered with false claims, primary among them being the denial of Hinduphobia itself. There was no mention of the seven Hindu temples that have been vandalized across the U.S. since December 2023 or of the hate crime data from states like California that show a rise in anti-Hindu hate, second only to antisemitism.
The panelists also stated, incorrectly, that the Nazi Hakenkreuz is the same as the Hindu Swastika—even though there is a growing body of evidence that Hitler called his symbol the Hakenkreuz, not Swastika. There were also broad accusations that Hindu organizations in the U.S. receive undisclosed payments from the BJP-led Indian government, thus implying they are “agents of India.”
Despite concerns about backlash and potential retribution, a group of brave Hindu students held a silent rally outside the event venue. Even though it was an officially permitted protest, they faced hostility from a supporter of the privileged panelists. “It was scary to see an adult trying to dox us,” said one Hindu student on the condition of anonymity. “So many of my peers wanted to join the rally. But they were too scared to come because Rutgers ignored the letters we sent asking for fairness and safety.”
It is not easy for students, especially from immigrant heavy minority communities, to oppose professors with institutional power and influence over their campus lives. “We were not asking Rutgers to cancel the event—only to make clear that its institutional brand does not endorse the anti-Hindu rhetoric that has already sowed fear among Hindu students and vitiated the atmosphere on-campus,” added Rutgers Hindu chaplain Hitesh Trivedi.
In the weeks leading up to the event, CoHNA led a broad campaign to raise awareness about this Hinduphobic event—enabling 10,000 emails from students, parents, and community members to the Rutgers administration, urging the university to disassociate itself from the event; 4,000 emails to state and federal lawmakers; and over 120 calls from CoHNA policy fellows to New Jersey officials.
On October 24, four members of the U.S. Congress—Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA), and Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI)—sent a joint letter to the Rutgers University administration, expressing concern over both the event and the report on which it is based. The lawmakers warned that the material “misrepresents a diverse and peaceful religious community” and could “fuel further prejudice, particularly impacting Hindu students on college campuses who may feel unfairly targeted or unsafe.”
Several CoHNA members attended the event including co-founder and board member Suresh Krishnamoorthy, to see if the panelists were actually open to anything resembling the true spirit of academic debate. Unfortunately, they were not. “When others spread falsehoods about our organization, seek to malign our beliefs, call us fascists, and dismiss Hindu voices in conversations about our own religious identity, we cannot let that slide. CoHNA will always be there to stand up for our community, especially Hindu youth” said Krishnamoorthy. “We will not let Hindu hate go unchallenged.”
CoHNA reaffirms its commitment to free speech and open dialogue but emphasizes that academic freedom, in particular, comes with academic responsibility to protect viewpoint diversity and student safety. We call on universities nationwide to ensure that their campuses remain safe for students of every background—including Hindus, who continue to face rising hate incidents both online and offline.
About CoHNA
CoHNA is a grassroots-level
advocacy and civil rights organization dedicated to improving the understanding of Hinduism in North America by working on matters related to the Hindu community and by educating the public about Hindu heritage and tradition. For more information, please visit https://cohna.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and on Instagram.
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SOURCE Coalition of Hindus of North America
