Statement on violence at Hindu nationalist conference
Chicago
South Asians for Justice is a coalition resisting the rise of global
fascism in the United States, India, and worldwide. Last night, we
staged a peaceful disruption of the World Hindu Congress (WHC), an event that celebrated speakers like Mohan Bhagwat,
the chair of the Indian right-wing, militant group Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), now ascendant in Indian politics. We were
viciously attacked by conference attendees. They choked, kicked, and
spat on us. Photos and videos do not capture the ferocity of violence we
experienced. The crowd’s reaction tore the mask off the fascism
underlying the Congress and the Hindutva ideology.
We
are young people, mostly women and mostly South Asian. We follow the
leadership of marginalized communities who have suffered the brunt of
persecution of the Hindutva movement.
The
WHC is an international body that aims to promote Hindu supremacy in
India and across the globe. WHC masks itself as a non-violent moderate
organization, simply interested in promoting Hindu values. WHC
intentionally obscures its militant, religious fundamentalist principles
and ties online, but during the conference, WHC speakers reiterated
their disturbing political philosophy, which includes militarist and
eugenist overtones and messages of intolerance. More than anything,
their brutal actions in response to our peaceful dissent demonstrate how
dangerous they truly are.
The ruling party in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is the political wing of the RSS. There are clear linkages
between the right-wing Hindu nationalist party and the tyranny of Hindu
fascists. BJP politicians, including Prime Minister Modi, have given
license to mobs and vigilantes to terrorize religious and social minorities at their whim.
We
thank IL State Senator-elect Ram Villivalam and Chicago Alderman Ameya
Pawar for declining their invitations to the WHC, denouncing the event,
and issuing statements of solidarity with our protest.
The
World Hindu Congress is a part of a growing global fascism. We are
horrified that they posed as a mainstream religious group, allowed
attendees to assault us during peaceful protest, and brought the threat
of global militant fascism close to our homes. We resolve to remain a
part of the left resistance.
Chicago South Asians for Justice issues the following demands:
- We demand that US Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-08), who attended and spoke at the WHC, issue a statement denouncing the event and the violence that took place;
- We demand that Chicago Alderman Ameya Pawar act on his stated opposition to state violence and oppose Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposed Cop Academy in Chicago; and,
- We demand that World Hindu Congress organizers, sponsors, attendees,, and speakers denounce the past and present violence of Hindutva organizations.
Testimonies from Chicago South Asians for Justice Protesters:
(We
spent a long time deciding whether to include our names alongside our
testimonies, and ultimately decided against it in order to protect
ourselves against imminent backlash from people who would like to
attack, hurt, and even possibly kill us. We wanted to reiterate however,
that many of us are from Hindu families with caste privilege who
recognize and reject Hindutva’s militant nationalism.)
“As
a US citizen and person with caste and religious privilege, I put my
body on the line as an expression of solidarity with people whose
immigration status, race, caste, religious beliefs or other identities
put them at risk of violence every single day. Facing angry mobs and
arrested for peaceful protest is not something to be glamorized. The
increasing normalization of fascism is a disturbing reality and demands
attention.”
“I
was among those attacked by attendees of the World Hindu Congress last
night. We peacefully stood and chanted anti-fascist messages once the
evening program finished. I stood with one other protester. We were
pushed into our seats and surrounded by a hoard of screaming men. I was
punched in the face, kicked in the back, and grabbed. They called me a
‘dirty Muslim’ and threatened death. When I was outside in handcuffs, a
man walked up to me and spat in my face in front of the police. He was
arrested for battery. World Hindu Congress attendees were 1000 strong.
We were six young people. The crowd’s reaction exposed the intense and
dangerous ideology underlying the World Hindu Congress and Hindutva.”
“The
violent fascism of the conference burst to the surface when we stood up
on our chairs to chant from opposite sides of the room. One person
flipped the chair from under me to push me over. Another threw chairs at
me. Someone actually started to choke me, and one of the other
protestors had to get them off of me. Even when disrupting Donald Trump
rallies, I’ve never had anyone put their hands on me like that, or
respond with so much aggression, pushing, and obscenities. I can’t
imagine how bad it would have gotten if there were not press cameras. It
was a terrifying glimpse into the immense brutality that marginalized
folks in India experience and are under constant threat of.”
“I
have felt less safe in the US than ever amid this rising hate against
minority and immigrant communities. I see the same violence occurring in
India. As a religious and racial minority in the United States, I stand
with Dalits, Muslims, and other marginalized communities abroad. I
believe Indian and Hindu Americans, who experience white supremacy, are
obligated to stand against the hate of Hindu Supremacy. The violence we
experienced last night only reinforced that the World Hindu Congress
represents fascist ideology that needs to be challenged by a global
leftist movement.”
“It’s
important for us to see the connections of global fascism and it’s
critical to join the movement rising against it. As a Filipinx American
and immigrant and gender justice organizer, I joined others last night
to disrupt systemic and state violence from the U.S. to India to the
Philippines, and global fascism everywhere.”
”The
World Hindu Congress is part of an effort by the global right to
legitimize its ethnic chauvinism and fascist tendencies. Whether it be
in the U.S., in my native Colombia, or anywhere else in the world,
tactics designed to divide and plunder us all cannot go unchallenged. I
protested as a way of supporting those in India who are fighting against
the Modi government’s regressive policies. We should all see ourselves
as citizens of the world. I do and acted accordingly in helping it be
known that the RSS is not welcome to spread its toxic ideology here.”
Watch a video from the disruption here.
If you would like to support Chicago South Asians for Justice you can make a donation here.
For more information on Chicago South Asians for Justice and their work contact: chisa4justice@gmail.com
