New York: The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA: www.cohna.org) brought together leaders from the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain communities, along with lawmakers from New York State, for a town hall on Feb 23 to discuss New York State Senate Bill S2727. The Coalition expressed grave concerns with the language in the bill, which seeks to categorize the Swastika as a symbol of hate. The NY senate bill S2727 calls for “… instruction regarding symbols of hate, including the swastika and the noose, to be incorporated into the curricula for grades six through twelve.”
Following its grassroots efforts in summer of 2020, CoHNA launched the Swastika Education and Awareness Campaign to spread awareness about the distinction between the Swastika, an ancient symbol of peace, prosperity, and well-being, and the Hakenkreuz (“hooked cross”), the German Nazi symbol of hate and genocide. The Swastika has been an integral part of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain religious practices for thousands of years, and is currently used by nearly two billion people to represent peace and goodwill. Hindu leaders from across New York State voiced their concerns that categorizing the Swastika as a “symbol of hate” would infringe upon the first amendment rights of youth, families, and the Hindu community at large. Misrepresenting this symbol as such would lead to confusion in the minds of young people who utilize the Swastika in their daily religious practices and lead to bullying and biases against them. It will also perpetuate misinformation among students who are not from the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain backgrounds as they would be taught an incorrect meaning of the Swastika.
Nikunj Trivedi, President of CoHNA, pointed out how the language of the proposed bill is inconsistent with historical facts, and can promote disharmony among the various communities of New York. He highlighted that CoHNA fully supports the spirit of the bill and the important need for education around how symbols can be used to promote hatred. Trivedi listed specific points which the NY lawmakers should consider while amending the language of the bill. He also pointed out that it is incorrect to refer to the Hakenkreuz as the “Nazi Swastika,” because Swastika is a Sanskrit word used only by the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions. Hitler never used Swastika in any of his works and the word does not appear in the German language.
Dr. T.K. Nakagaki, Founder and President of Heiwa Peace and Reconciliation Foundation of New York, echoed Trivedi’s concerns. He said that the bill’s usage of the word “Swastika” to refer to the Hakenkreuz is not acceptable and pointed out that the misinformation about the Swastika goes beyond this bill and has percolated numerous dictionaries. Dr. Nakagaki is a NY based Buddhist monk, a scholar and the author of the 2018 book titled “The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler’s Cross: Rescuing a Symbol of Peace from the Forces of Hate.”
Dr. Raj Bhayani, Treasurer of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), mentioned the team’s efforts in reaching out to NY lawmakers, including Senator Todd Kaminsky and co-sponsors such as Senators Kevin Thomas and Shelley Mayer. He urged community members to reach out to their local lawmakers and express their concerns.
Dr. Rakesh Shreedhar, another prominent community leader from New York, shared how during his meeting with Senator Mayer, a few Hindu students discussed instances of bullying and bias resulting from their usage of the Swastika. Dr. Neeta Jain, Founder and President of the International Ahimsa Foundation and a District Democratic Leader from Queens, shared the importance of the Swastika in the Jain tradition and how she has been working with CoHNA and others to ensure that the lawmakers do not discount the points raised by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains.
Jenifer Rajkumar, the first Hindu American to be elected to the NY State Assembly, pledged to be a vocal advocate for defending the Swastika as a positive force and not to be confused with the Nazi Hakenkreuz (“hooked cross”).
Nipun Marwaha, a lawyer for CoHNA, discussed the legal aspects of the bill and New York laws, and explained why the bill in its current form may violate the First Amendment rights of Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and others.
Many town hall participants expressed a keen desire to work together and ensure that the efforts of combating hatred and intolerance do not inadvertently stoke the same against their communities.
CoHNA is a grassroots level advocacy organization dedicated to improving the understanding of Hinduism in North America by working on matters related to the Hindu community and by educating the public about Hindu heritage and tradition. Website: https://cohna.org.
