In a decision that has ignited widespread backlash, the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) at UC Berkeley voted against a resolution to recognize October as Hindu Heritage Month, prompting outrage from Hindu students, advocacy groups, and civil rights observers.The proposal, Senate Resolution No. 2024/2025-042, was authored by a Caribbean Hindu student and focused solely on celebrating the contributions of Hindus to American society and the UC Berkeley campus. It highlighted Hindu achievements in science, technology, education, and the arts, deliberately avoiding any reference to Indian politics, Hindu nationalism, or current global events.Yet despite its apolitical tone, the resolution faced vehement opposition. Several student senators claimed the measure could be “used to legitimize Hindu nationalist ideology,” even though those words appear nowhere in the text. The resolution failed to pass, with critics citing vague political concerns while allowing similar heritage recognitions for other groups to proceed without resistance.The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) called the vote discriminatory and accused the Senate of engaging in “Hinduphobia masked as caution.” The organization condemned what it described as bullying behavior during the March 5 public meeting and singled out Senator Isha Chander for allegedly steering the discussion toward divisive political rhetoric. CoHNA also expressed solidarity with Senator Justin Taylor, who supported the resolution and, according to observers, faced hostility and mockery from colleagues during the debate.A video of the meeting, now widely shared on social media platform X, shows one student making a choking gesture and dramatically pretending to suffocate while the resolution was being discussed, a moment many interpreted as a disturbing display of disdain for Hindu concerns. CoHNA demanded a formal investigation, an apology to the Hindu student community, and accountability for what it called “public bullying of a fellow senator.“Adding to the controversy, the ASUC temporarily removed the video of the meeting from its Facebook page during student elections. Critics argue this move amounted to political censorship aimed at avoiding scrutiny. “What are they trying to hide?” CoHNA questioned, calling the deletion “deeply suspicious” and “indicative of institutional bias.”The resolution’s defeat has reignited concerns about unequal representation of minority faiths on campus. “All three Abrahamic religions have formal representation at ASUC,” one student speaker said. “But when it comes to Hindus, our culture is treated as a political threat. The resolution was flushed down the toilet”, a crude phrase actually used by one senator during the session.While the ASUC defended its decision as a measure to avoid “unintended political implications,” Hindu students and supporters argue that the episode reflects a deeper problem: the growing tendency to conflate cultural celebration with controversial geopolitics—especially when it involves Hindu identity.“It’s exhausting,” said one student. “We just wanted to celebrate our heritage. Instead, we were told to defend politics we don’t even identify with.”The debate at UC Berkeley is far from over, as Hindu student organizations, alumni, and advocacy groups now call for transparency, reform, and equal respect for all communities on campus—regardless of the geopolitical baggage others may project onto them.
