WASHINGTON: A large demonstration erupted outside Madison Square Garden this week as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat attended an event billed as a celebration of “Universal Oneness”, with protesters saying the message contradicted the RSS’s Hindu supremacist ideology.
Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Dalit and civil-rights groups converged outside the New York landmark to protest Bhagwat’s appearance, accusing the RSS of promoting a majoritarian vision of India and of being associated with violence and discrimination against religious minorities.
The demonstration took place as thousands of people gathered inside the venue for the “Universal Oneness Celebration”, organised by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue. Organisers presented the event as a celebration of Hindu culture and the idea of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the world as one family.
But protesters said universal brotherhood placards could not conceal what they described as the RSS’s record in India. “This is kind of a goodwill tour to improve the public image of the RSS,” Sravya Tadepalli of Hindus for Human Rights told reporters before the event, describing the organisation as a “fascist paramilitary organisation” accused of decades of communal violence against minorities.
