NYC Mayor Mamdani Opposes Event With India's Hindu Nationalist Leader

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Tuesday that he does not endorse an upcoming event in Manhattan scheduled to feature Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of India's Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The RSS is the ideological foundation of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Mamdani, who is the first Muslim and Indian American mayor of New York City, stated, "I don't support the rally, but I don't know if the city has any jurisdiction to cancel a private event." He voiced deep concern over the increasing prevalence of a movement predicated on an exclusionary vision, which he feels starkly contrasts with the pluralistic, secular India he was raised to believe in, a vision that embraced the belonging of every person from India.

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I don't support the rally, but I don't know if the city has any jurisdiction to cancel a private event

The event, billed as the "Universal Oneness Celebration" by organizers American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue, aims to unite the Hindu American community. However, it has drawn significant criticism from local organizations due to Bhagwat's attendance and the RSS's history. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has noted the RSS's alleged involvement in acts of extreme violence and intolerance against minority groups over decades.

The RSS disputes these accusations, characterizing itself as a "Hindu-centric civilizational, cultural movement" focused on national glory and uniting Hindus. Despite the organizers' claims of promoting shared heritage and interfaith unity, critics point to rising hate speech and discriminatory practices against Indian minorities in recent years, as documented by human rights groups and the UN.

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The vision of India that I was taught by my family and one that I grew up being very familiar with was of a pluralistic society of a secular Republic that believed in the belonging of each and every person who was from India. And it has been incredibly troubling to see the rise of a movement that is predicated on an exclusionary vision.