A high-profile event scheduled at Madison Square Garden in New York City is drawing significant backlash from advocacy groups and community leaders. The Universal Oneness Celebration, organized by the American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue, is being promoted as a gathering to foster “greater peace and harmony” and to share the message that “the world is one family.”
However, the inclusion of Mohan Bhagwat, the leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), as a keynote speaker has sparked intense criticism. The RSS is a prominent Hindu paramilitary organization frequently accused of promoting discriminatory policies and inciting violence against India’s religious minorities, including Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs.
Safa Ahmed, a community organizer from North Carolina, is among those traveling to New York to protest the event. She argues that the rhetoric of unity presented by the organizers stands in stark contrast to the reality faced by minorities in India. She described the movement as one that has normalized mob violence, the targeting of interfaith couples, and the destruction of Muslim-owned homes.
Advocacy groups like Hindus for Human Rights view the rally as a strategic effort to improve the public image of the RSS. Sravya Tadepalli, the organization’s deputy executive director, characterized the event as a “goodwill tour” designed to mask the group’s history of communal violence and its ideological opposition to secularism.
The RSS serves as the ideological foundation for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has governed India since 2014. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a former RSS cadre, has frequently engaged with the Indian diaspora in the United States to promote his vision of Hindu nationalism. Notably, in 2019, he addressed a crowd of 50,000 at the “Howdy, Modi!” rally in Texas, an event attended by then-President Donald Trump.
These outreach efforts have faced persistent scrutiny. Before his 2014 election, Modi was barred from entering the United States due to his role during the 2002 Gujarat riots, where he faced accusations of failing to prevent the mass killing of Muslim residents.
Recent data suggests that while Modi maintains significant popularity among Indian Americans, there is growing concern regarding his policies. A 2024 survey indicated that 70 percent of Indian American respondents believe his political rhetoric poses a threat to religious minorities in India.
Official pushback has also intensified. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recently issued a statement calling for the revocation of Bhagwat’s visa. USCIRF Chair Asif Mahmood noted that religious freedom in India continues to decline, citing frequent incitement and violence against minority communities, and urged the US government to implement targeted sanctions.
Local officials have also weighed in on the controversy. New York City official Zohran Mamdani expressed his strong opposition to the event, citing his own background as an Indian American. While he stated he does not support the rally, he acknowledged that the city likely lacks the legal jurisdiction to cancel a private gathering.
Despite the opposition, organizers continue to frame the event as a cultural celebration. Critics, however, maintain that the rally is part of a broader trend of Hindu nationalist groups attempting to build influence in the US by aligning with global far-right movements that share a common hostility toward secularism and Islam.
Ahmed emphasized that the opposition to the event represents a growing, diverse coalition within the Indian diaspora, uniting Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, and unprivileged-caste voices. She expressed confidence that the rally would face a strong rejection, stating that a new majority of the diaspora does not support the political agenda of the RSS or the BJP. The report also notes that advocacy organisations and unprivileged-caste organisations say they are not convinced, but an array of faith groups. The report also notes that protests are expected outside Madison Square Garden to denounce Bhagwat’s appearance. The report also notes that she said she is sceptical about the event organisers’ claims about embracing the world as “one family”. The report also notes that where roughly 2.5 million Hindus live, advocates say that Hindu nationalist groups are working to expand their influence in the United States. The report also notes that to do that, they have utilised a variety of appeals to soften the image of the RSS, such as celebrations of Hindu culture and campaigns to highlight anti-Hindu discrimination. The report also notes that “The organisations behind this have pitched it as a broad appeal to Hindu history with an emphasis on inclusivity when, in reality, the RSS advocates for the exact opposite.”. The report also notes that however, that Hindu nationalists have also sought to cultivate links with the global far-right, emphasising a shared belief in the purported threats posed by Islam and secular elites, critics have pointed out. The report also notes that which has ruled India since 2014 and sought to remake the country along Hindu nationalist lines, the RSS is widely considered the ideological parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
