Anti-Hindu Hate at Rutgers - A Call To Action
TAKE ACTION!
1. Send a Letter to the Rutgers University Administration to Condemn Anti-Hindu Hate
2. Ask Lawmakers to Investigate Anti-Hindu Hate
3. Download Our 1-Pager to Learn More and Share Widely
Introduction
On October 27, 2025, Rutgers will be home to an event titled “Hindutva in America: A Threat to Equality and Religious Pluralism” on its New Brunswick campus. For many in the Hindu community, this is not just an academic exercise—it is a source of pain, fear, and deep concern. The event, under the guise of intellectual inquiry, is in reality a platform that singles out an entire community, fueling suspicion and prejudice against Hindu students and faculty.
Misuse of Taxpayer Funds?
It is deeply troubling—and frankly, heartbreaking—that funds meant to foster knowledge and academic excellence are instead being used to amplify narratives that paint Hinduism as a threat to the very values Rutgers claims to uphold. Hindu students, who should feel secure and celebrated on campus, are instead forced to watch as their faith is cast in a negative light with the support of the very institution they call home.
Nature and Implications of the Event
The event, rooted in a report of the same name, goes beyond criticism and veers into dangerous territory. It calls for federal investigations of long-standing and respected Hindu organizations, including those at Rutgers, branding them as foreign agents and urging they be forced to register under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA). Even more alarming, it advocates barring entry to the United States for anyone accused—sometimes without due process—of supporting violence against minorities in India.
Such rhetoric does not simply target organizations—it creates an atmosphere of suspicion and fear around every Hindu student and faculty member. They are portrayed as extremists, as if their very presence on campus is a threat to American values. This message is deeply wounding and has real-world consequences, stirring anxiety and insecurity among Hindu members of the Rutgers community.
Current Climate and Other Concerns
This event is not occurring in a vacuum. It comes at a moment when Hindus are already contending with rising acts of Hinduphobia and racism from extremist voices in society. The pain is compounded by the university’s continuing association with a department whose sponsor (founder of the law firm Lloyd & Mousilli) was arrested and charged with a pedophilia crime in November 2024. This same department has hosted speakers with ties to terror groups like Al-Qaeda, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. For Hindu students, these facts add to an ever-growing sense of vulnerability and betrayal.
A Call to Action
We call, with urgency and hope, on every member of the community, every ally, and every individual who stands against hate to take action:
- Demand that Rutgers University refuse to allow its facilities and resources to be used to promote anti-Hindu sentiment and politically motivated attacks on a vulnerable community.
- Urge state and federal lawmakers to inquire why taxpayer funds are being spent to support bigotry and division, rather than unity and academic freedom.
- Insist that Rutgers stand firmly with its Hindu students—students who feel threatened, isolated, and targeted on their own campus—and offer them the protection, respect, and inclusion promised by the university’s own values.
Conclusion
Rutgers University is the proud home of one of America’s largest Hindu student populations. Yet today, these students face open intolerance, not just from the fringes of society but from within the very institution that should protect them. This stark reality stands in direct opposition to Rutgers’ own commitments to anti-discrimination, diversity, and inclusion. The time for silent observation has passed; now is the time for action, compassion, and solidarity.
Resources
WATCH: PGurus Interview
Rutgers University is under fire for hosting a controversial event titled “Hindutva in America: A Threat to Equality and Religious Pluralism” — scheduled for October 27, 2025 and officially branded under the Rutgers Center for Security, Race, and Rights (CSRR). Hear the the conversation of Sree Iyer with Nikunj Trivedi (President, CoHNA) and Hitesh Trivedi (Hindu Chaplain, Rutgers University) — on how this event crosses every line of decency and inclusivity.
Dismantling Hinduism Under the Smokescreen of “Hindutva”
Anti-Hindu groups and activists regularly promote the lie that their target is “Hindutva” and not Hinduism. They claim that Hinduism and Hindutva are not the same, and that the latter is a danger to equality, religious pluralism, peace, brotherhood, etc. However, the 2021 Dismantling Global Hindutva Conference, organized and supported by some of the same groups behind the Rutgers University event and sponsored by more than 50 university departments across North America clearly demonstrated that “Hindutva” is a smokescreen to hide the real target – Hinduism.
Crying Hindutva – How anti-Hindu academics and activists gag Hindu voices by labeling them as “Hindutva extremists”
When Hindu organizations, community leaders and respected scholars challenge Hinduphobia and bigotry, their voices are often gagged by the same group of agenda driven scholars and activists by labeling them as “Hindutva extremists.”
What counts as “Hindutva extremism?”
- A professor calling Shri Rama a “misogynist pig.”
- A professor claiming that The Bhagavad Gita endorses “mass slaughter.”
- A professor saying “Jai Shri Rama is a terror cry.”
- A professor teaching that The Mahabharata endorses “rape culture.”
- Biased portrayals of Hinduism and India in American textbooks.
- If they stand against laws that unfairly target and profile them.
- If they educate law enforcement, teachers, and the general public about Hinduphobia.
Check out our report “Crying Hindutva: The Hindutva Harassment Manual and the Gagging of Hindu Voices” by clicking on the picture to learn more.
These sources subscribe to a certain political agenda in the name of “diverse opinions” while gagging those who differ from their biased views. This open association with bigotry should ring alarm bells for anyone who is serious about scholarly pursuits, diversity, and inclusion.
