The New Jersey Democratic State Committee (NJDSC), a unit of the ruling Democratic party has condemned the blatant Hinduphobia displayed by the Teaneck Democratic Municipal Committee (TDMC), another arm of the ruling Democratic party, after the latter passed a hateful resolution on September 17, labelling a number of Hindu organisations as “foreign hate groups”.
The NJDSC, in a statement, said, that the foundational goal of the Democratic Party is to bring people together, not to divide them, and the anti-Hindu Teaneck resolution does not accomplish this important goal. “We stand with those who value inclusivity and diversity, and against hate and bigotry in any form,” it read.
The press statement released by the Democratic party unit was shared on Twitter by the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA).
“Thanks to the efforts of a broad coalition of Hindu orgs in NJ, @NJDSC has official condemned the anti-Hindu resolution by @DemsTeaneck which targeted Hindu orgs & supported #Hinduphobia. We will continue to work with lawmakers & educate them on such matters,” Tweeted the American Hindu organisation while sharing the press note by NJDSC.
#BREAKING. Thanks to the efforts of a broad coalition of Hindu orgs in NJ, @NJDSC has official condemned the anti-Hindu resolution by @DemsTeaneck which targeted Hindu orgs & supported #Hinduphobia. We will continue to work with lawmakers & educate them on such matters👏🏾👏🏾. 1/n pic.twitter.com/ElHGO0EX41
— CoHNA (Coalition of Hindus of North America) (@CoHNAOfficial) September 30, 2022
Notably, Hindus in America have been outraged since the Teaneck Democrats’ resolution recklessly and falsely labelled almost every major Hindu American organisation in the United States, including Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, Sewa International, and others, as a fascist organisation that promotes hate and terrorism.
In fact, after the resolution was passed on September 17, 2022, about fifty-five Hindu American organisations representing over 155,000 inhabitants of Bergen County, New Jersey and nearby areas signed a coalition letter criticising a bigoted resolution passed by the Teaneck Democratic Municipal Committee (TDMC).
The Hindu American community in New Jersey has since been reaching out to Democratic lawmakers throughout the US for support.
Democratic party unit in New Jersey displays open Hinduphobia
It may be recalled that in the resolution the Teaneck Democratic Municipal Committee (TDMC) in New Jersey named the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), SEWA International, Infinity Foundation, Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation, as “foreign hate groups”, and said that they have direct and indirect ties to RSS. Calling them Hindu Supremacists, the unit of president Joe Biden’s party has demanded that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) should step up research on “foreign hate groups that have domestic branches with tax-exempt status”.
The resolution passed by TDMC says, “Hindu nationalist organisations have infiltrated all levels of politics and were highly effective in blocking US House Resolution 417 which was a congressional attempt to warn against the Hindu nationalist movement.”
House Resolution 417 was a controversial resolution brought in 2013 in the Congress that sought to continue denying a US visa to Narendra Modi, which was sponsored by both Republican and Democratic lawmakers. The resolution had also called on India to protect the rights and freedoms of religious minorities and asked the US government to include the matter as part of bilateral the Strategic Dialogue. However, the House resolution lost traction after several sponsors withdrew from it after growing criticism of the move.
Teaneck Democratic Municipal Committee claimed that the Hindu organisations can be declared terror groups under US Code Title 22 Chapter 38, section 2656f(d).
The TDMC urged New Jersey Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, Governor Phil Murphy and Congressman Josh Gottheimer to ask the FBI and CIA to probe these groups.
The TDMC press release informing about the resolution was published by Indian American Muslim Council among others. Despite not being a media organisation, IAMC published it on their website, indicating their support for demanding action against Hindu groups in the USA.
The resolution by the Democratic party unit underlines the increasing anti-Hindu trend among American liberals, particularly in the Democratic party.
