California Must Act on Rising Anti-Hindu Hate, HAF Urges Commission

Advocacy group urges California's commission to recognise rise in anti-Hindu hate

Washington, June 17

Taking to its social media platform X on Wednesday, the HAF posted: "As California leaders discuss how to combat hate, we encourage Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton to ensure Hindu Americans are not overlooked in statewide anti-hate efforts. Religious freedom means protecting all communities-including Hindus."

In formal comments submitted to the California State of Hate Commission on June 9, the HAF highlighted a disturbing surge in bias incidents, vandalism, and violence targeting the Hindu community in recent years.

"Over the past several years, Hindu Californians have faced a disturbing surge in bias incidents, vandalism, and targeted violence. This reality is directly reflected in the Civil Rights Department's own data; the CA vs Hate state hotline revealed that anti-Hindu incidents constituted the second most frequent form of religiously motivated hate in California, accounting for a staggering 23 per cent of all reported religious bias cases," the organisation stated.

"These are not abstract statistics. Our houses of worship - spaces meant for peace and community sanctuary - have faced a systematic pattern of intimidation, desecration, and infrastructure sabotage, often times at the hands of others from the broader South Asian community," it added.

Furthermore, the HAF noted an alarming and deeply concerning rise in "digital racism and xenophobia" directed at the Hindu American and Indian American communities across the country.

"Fuelled by coordinated online disinformation campaigns and political scapegoating regarding immigration, the United States has increasingly become an epicentre for anti-Indian and anti-Hindu hate speech," it stated.

The organisation further said that hateful narratives - which include ethnic slurs, occupational scapegoating, and overt bigotry against Hindu practices - do not remain confined to online spaces.

The HAF called on the Commission and the Civil Rights Department to address this crisis and ensure the safety of Hindu Californians. It also urged the commission to publicly recognise and condemn the systemic nature of anti-Hindu bias, reinforcing that California stands united against all forms of religious and ethnic bigotry.

"Hindu Americans are an integral, vibrant part of the California tapestry. However, freedom of religion and the right to practice without fear of violence are foundational. We respectfully urge this Commission to formally recognise this dangerous spike in anti-Hindu bias and to prioritise the protection, safety, and inclusion of the Hindu American community in statewide anti-hate initiatives," HAF Managing Director Samir Kalra stated.

— IANS