Featured image: Members of the Hindu nationalist militia organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) marching in Bhopal, India, 2016. Photo by Suyash Dwivedi, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED, adapted by IMAM. By some accounts, the RSS is the largest far-right organization in the world.
A Growing Coalition Calls for Solidarity and Action
A broad coalition of civil rights, faith-based, and social justice organizations across the United States has raised concern about the increasing visibility and influence of Hindutva or Hindu nationalist ideology within American civic and political spaces.
The coalition, organized through an interfaith and multiracial network, brings together more than 100 organizations representing diverse communities. The joint declaration highlights growing concern about how this ideology is shaping discourse, influencing institutions, and impacting minority communities in the United States.
Key Concerns Raised
The coalition identifies several emerging trends:
- The expansion of Hindu nationalist networks within U.S. civic and political spaces
- Increasing alignment with broader far-right movements
- The spread of narratives that contribute to division within and across communities
- The impact on religious minorities, particularly Muslims, as well as other marginalized groups
According to the declaration, this movement is not limited to diaspora dynamics but is increasingly connected to broader global and domestic political trends, including the rise of multiracial far-right coalitions.
Impact on Communities and Public Discourse
The coalition emphasizes that these developments have implications beyond a single community. Concerns include:
- The erosion of pluralism and democratic norms
- The weakening of solidarity among communities of color
- The normalization of exclusionary or discriminatory narratives
- The potential influence on policy, advocacy, and public institutions
Groups associated with this ideology have engaged in efforts that challenge civil rights initiatives, oppose protections for marginalized communities, and contribute to misinformation targeting minority groups. These efforts include attacking civil rights groups; collaborating with far-right demagogues; spreading anti-Muslim disinformation; opposing affirmative action and caste protections for marginalized communities; and working to curb free speech and academic freedom.
A Call for Solidarity
In response, the coalition calls for:
- Strengthening cross-community solidarity
- Rejecting all forms of supremacist ideologies
- Expanding public education on the global and domestic impact of such movements
- Supporting efforts to combat Islamophobia and other forms of discrimination
The declaration underscores that confronting these challenges requires collective action across racial, religious, and social lines.
Sign the Declaration
Addressing these challenges requires collective awareness and action. Please fill out the form below to endorse the coalition’s joint declaration on Hindu supremacy!
