A planned float in NYC’s India Day Parade is anti-Muslim and should be removed, opponents say
NEW YORK — A float in the upcoming India Day Parade in New York City honoring a Hindu temple built on a demolished mosque is criticized in India as anti-Islamic.
The Indian American Muslim Council and other religious groups have called on parade organizers to remove a float with the Ram MandirHe said the temple is seen as a symbol glorifying the destruction of mosques and violence against Muslims in the South Asian country.
Hindus make up about 80% of India’s population, but the country is also home to about 200 million Muslims, who are regularly attacked by Hindu nationalists.
“The presence of the float represents the desire of these groups to conflate Hindu nationalist ideology with Indian identity,” the organization and others wrote in a letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams earlier this month. “This is not just a cultural display, but a vulgar celebration of anti-Muslim fervor, bigotry, and religious supremacy.”
Parade organizers have rejected requests to remove the float, saying the parade celebrates the inauguration of a sacred monument important to hundreds of millions of Hindus.
“As we celebrate what we consider a vital aspect of our faith through the milestone celebration, we unequivocally reject violence and hatred in any form, including any damage to a religious place of worship,” Ankur Vaidya, president of the Federation of Indian Associations, which is organising the event, said in a statement. “We stand for peaceful coexistence and encourage everyone to embrace this value.”
The association sees the parade as a celebration of “India’s rich diversity of culture,” with floats representing not only Hindus, but also Muslims, Sikhs and Christians.
Vaidya also noted in his statement that the theme for this year’s parade is “Vasudev Kutumbakam,” a Sanskrit phrase that translates to “the world is one family.”
The event, now in its 42nd year, is one of the largest of its kind outside India, with tens of thousands of people turning out to watch Bollywood celebrities and Indian sports stars in a rolling celebration along Manhattan’s Madison Avenue. The annual parade marks the end of British rule and the founding of an independent India on August 15, 1947.
The Ram Mandir ground broken in 2020 next a long-running legal battle in the holy city of Ayodhya in India.
The temple was built on the ruins of the 16th century Babri Mosque, which was destroyed by Hindu nationalist groups in 1992.
The ornate pink sandstone structure cost an estimated $217 million and is dedicated to Ram, a god believed by Hindus to have been born at the site.
Spokespeople for Hochul and Adams did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Thursday.
But when asked about the controversy at City Hall on Tuesday, Adams, who has participated in the parade in recent years, said there is “no room for hate” in New York.
“I want to make the right symbolic gesture that the city is open to everyone and there is no room for hate,” the Democrat said. “If there is a float or a person in the parade that promotes hate, that should not happen.”
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