The organisers of the 42 annual India Day Parade in New York City have alleged they have become the target of hate-filled bigotry over the decision to include a Ram Mandir miniature float in the parade.
A statement by the Federation of Indian Associations NY-NJ-CT-NE said it was finding itself under scrutiny for organising a peaceful community celebration. "This malicious and hate-filled scrutiny spread on social media has resulted in the loss of sponsorships - the lifeblood of our event- and in fear-mongering, causing law-abiding citizens to worry about potential unruly conduct due to hateful messages circulating online," the statement added.
It added that the inclusion of the float that "celebrated the inauguration of a sacred landmark" has been "insulted by a derogatory namecalling" and accused the officials of being silent. "Would such name-calling be tolerated if directed at any other community's place of worship", the statement added.
The controversy erupted after American civil society organisations, especially the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), protested against the inclusion of the float, which they called was "anti-Muslim."
As many as 22 civil society organisations, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Hindus for Human Rights, and Federation of Indian American Christian Organisations of North America, wrote to New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams asking for steps to ban the float.
In the letter, the organisations said the proposed float was a blatant attempt to glorify the illegal demolition of the historical Babri Mosque and celebrate ongoing violence and terror against 200 million Indian Muslims. "This is not merely a cultural display but a vulgar celebration of anti-Muslim hate, bigotry, and religious supremacy," the organisations wrote.
The letter added that the event was being organised by the Hindu group Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), the overseas chapter of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
Though the spokesperson for city hall has not issued a clarification in this regard yet, its spokesperson told the Middle East Eye that Mayor Adams has been clear that celebrations in our city should be welcoming and inclusive.
Meanwhile, preparations are in full swing to hold the parade which will see the participation of celebrities, including Sonakshi Sinha and Pankaj Tripathi and BJP MP Manoj Tiwari.