Over 100 organisations declare Hindu supremacy matter of “acute concern” in US

Over 100 civil society groups across the United States have signed onto a declaration expressing “acute concern about the alarming rise of Hindu supremacy, also known as Hindutva or Hindu nationalism, in the United States.”

The declaration, released on Monday by Savera – an interfaith, multiracial, anti-caste coalition of Indian American and partner civil rights groups – warned that the Hindu supremacist movement “now finds itself in a deepening alliance with various facets of the American far-right,” and pledged to take action to combat its spread in the United States.

The declaration’s signatories represent the breadth of American civil society, including organizations such as the Movement for Black Lives, Jewish Voice for Peace, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, and the National Lawyers’ Guild. The statement followed Savera’s recent report, titled “The Global VHP’s Trail of Violence,” which comprehensively outlined the deleterious impact of the US-based Hindu supremacist movement, highlighting its deep connections with both the American far-right and violent supremacist actors in India.

“Hindu supremacy has become a key axis of the US far-right and a threat to US democracy,” said Prachi Patankar of India Civil Watch International. “While Hindu supremacy affects our communities most directly, it is a broader threat that portends the danger of a multi-racial far right. This overwhelming show of solidarity points to how we must combat these converging authoritarian threats: together.”

“Ethnonationalism is on the rise worldwide as economic collapse, the climate crisis, and war irreparably destroy communities and displace millions,” said Sophie Ellman-Golan of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. “We’re all up against a global alliance of supremacist, authoritarian political movements and leaders — from India and Israel, to Russia, Hungary, the United States, and beyond. More than ever, we need to build multiracial, interfaith solidarity powerful enough to fight back. Jews For Racial & Economic Justice is proud to be part of the essential coalition Savera is building.”

“Savera is giving voice to the majority of the Indian diaspora that stands opposed to Hindu supremacy. However, safeguarding our democracy from the far-right is a much broader fight, and it is equally critical that other communities take a stand against Hindu supremacy too,” said Roja Singh, President of Dalit Solidarity Forum in the USA.

Here is the full text of the statement:

We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, express our acute concern about the alarming rise of Hindu supremacy, also known as Hindutva or Hindu nationalism, in the United States. This political ideology, which was first articulated in the early 20th century with direct inspiration from Nazism, Fascism and other ideologies of racial subjugation, now finds itself in a deepening alliance with various facets of the American far-right. Hindu supremacy poses a growing threat to our core values of democracy, pluralism and justice, both in India and here in the United States.

We stand steadfast in solidarity with Savera, a new united front that represents the true Indian-American majority, and that has brought together an interfaith, multiracial, anti-caste coalition of organizations and activists to resist supremacist politics of all kinds.

Hindu supremacist organizations may hide behind a facade of multiculturalism and diversity, but in practice they have worked to break bonds of solidarity between communities and legitimize far-right politics within communities of color—including by attacking civil rights groups; collaborating with far-right demagogues; spreading anti-Muslim disinformation; opposing affirmative action and caste protections for marginalized communities; and working to curb free speech and academic freedom.

The deeply anti-Muslim project of Hindu supremacy began and continues to function as a dominant caste project, and its history is littered with examples of violence against Muslims and other religious minorities, caste-oppressed groups and indigenous peoples. The Hindu supremacist movement is not only harmful to Indian, South Asian and Muslim Americans, but runs deeply counter to our values of collective liberation. It is our shared responsibility to stand in solidarity with those who are bravely opposing supremacist politics and fighting for a true multiracial democracy. Hindu supremacy deeply concerns us all, and we are committed to combating it.

Therefore, together, we pledge:

• To reject all forms of hatred and supremacist politics, including Hindu supremacy; and to educate ourselves about the ideology and global presence of the Hindu supremacist movement, and its intersections with the broader far-right;
• To stand in firm solidarity with the global struggle to dismantle Islamophobia and annihilate caste, and in particular to support movements to combat anti-Muslim hate and ban caste discrimination in the United States;
• To support calls for the United States government to center human rights and democracy in its engagement with the Modi regime; and 
• To stand with activists and organizations working to articulate a diverse, inclusive, and liberatory vision of Indian American identity.

List of Signatories:

1. 18 Million Rising
2. AAPI Equity Alliance
3. About Face: Veterans Against the War
4. Action Center on Race & the Economy (ACRE)
5. Adalah Justice Project
6. Afghans for a Better Tomorrow
7. Alliance for South Asian Progressives in Pittsburgh (ASAPP)
8. Alternatives International 
9. Ambedkar International Center
10. Ambedkar King Study Circle
11. American Friends Service Committee
12. American Muslim Empowerment Network (AMEN)
13. American Muslim Institution, Washington, D.C.
14. American Sikh Council
15. Americans For Kashmir
16. APEX Express
17. Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC)
18. ASATA – The Alliance of South Asians Taking Action
19. Asian American Advocacy Fund
20. Asian American Midwest Progressives
21. Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago
22. Asian Children’s Educational Fellowship 
23. Asian Law Alliance 
24. Asian Prisoner Support Committee
25. Asian Refugees United
26. Association of Indian Muslims of America, Washington DC
27. Aurora Commons LLC
28. Bangladeshi Americans for Political Progress (BAPP)
29. Bhim International Foundation USA
30. Boston South Asian Coalition 
31. Boston Study Group
32. CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities
33. Canadian Forum for Human Rights and Democracy in India (CFHRDI)
34. Center for Pluralism 
35. CERAS (Centre sur l’asie du sud)
36. Chicago Coalition for Human Rights in India 
37. Coalition of Seattle Indian Americans
38. Code Pink: Women for Peace
39. Dalit Solidarity Forum in the USA
40. Daraja Press
41. Design Action Collective
42. Detention Watch Network
43. Diaspora Alliance
44. DRUM – Desis Rising Up & Moving
45. Ensaaf
46. Faith in Public Life
47. Federation of Indian American Christians in North America (FIACONA)
48. Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America
49. Forces of Renewal Southeast Asia (FORSEA)
50. Friends Committee on National Legislation
51. Friends of India Texas
52. GABRIELA Oakland
53. Grassroots Asians Rising
54. Grassroots Global Justice Alliance
55. Great Truth
56. GreenFaith 
57. Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE)
58. Highlander Research & Education Center
59. Hindus for Human Rights
60. Human Agenda
61. The Humanism Project
62. IfNotNow
63. India Civil Watch International
64. India Coalition
65. Indian American Muslim Council
66. The Interfaith Center of New York
67. International Commission for Dalit Rights 
68. International Society for Peace and Justice 
69. Jewish Voice for Peace
70. Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ)
71. Justice for All
72. Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice
73. Lavender Phoenix
74. Lyallpur Forum
75. Maynmai
76. Movement for Black Lives (M4BL)
77. Muslim Civic Coalition
78. Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
79. Muslims for Just Futures
80. Muslims for Progressive Values 
81. Muslim Voices Coalition 
82. NAACP of San Jose and Silicon Valley
83. National Lawyers’ Guild
84. New York State Council of Churches
85. NGO Federation of Nepal
86. NoHindutvaMD
87. North American Manipur Tribal Association
88. The People’s Forum
89. Poetic Justice Foundation 
90. Political Research Associates
91. Progressive Technology Project
92. Project ANAR
93. Project South 
94. Race Forward
95. Rangoli Pittsburgh
96. Religions for Peace USA
97. Right To The City Alliance
98. SACRED (South Asian American Coalition to Renew Democracy)
99. Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus
100. Sakhi for South Asian Women
101. San Jose Peace and Justice Center
102. Showing up for Racial Justice (SURJ)
103. Sikh Council for Interfaith Relations
104. South Asian SOAR
105. The Subcontinent Project, Northwestern University
106. The United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society
107. Twin Cities South Asia Solidarity Collective
108. World Without Genocide
109. Xicanx Institute for Teaching and Organizing