Rutgers University formally recognises ‘Hinduphobia’ by its scholar physique

In a historic feat on Saturday (April 24), the Rutgers University Student Assembly (RUSA) handed a decision (No. 1451-XX) to undertake a scholarly definition of Hinduphobia. This is the primary time {that a} US college has institutionally recognised Hinduphobia by its scholar meeting.
#BREAKING: Rutgers University turns into the primary U.S college to institutionally acknowledge Hinduphobia by its scholar meeting #UnderstandingHinduphobia2021— Hindu On Campus (@hinduoncampus) April 23, 2021
The scholarly definition of Hinduphobia was developed by the ‘Understanding Hinduphobia’ Conference. Rutgers HSC emphasised that it was essential to guard the pursuits of the Hindu college students on the campus of Rutgers University. The accepted definition of Hinduphobia goes as, “a set of antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory attitudes and behaviours towards Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) and Hindus that may manifest as fear or hatred.”
Rutgers HSC knowledgeable that RUSA has not solely recognised the working definition of Hinduphobia but additionally the adjustments made to the definition inside 14 days of the conclusion of ‘Understanding Hinduphobia Conference.’ The growth comes as a significant victory for the Hindu college students on the Rutgers University campus, who’ve been combating the school and administration to recognise the perils of Hinduphobia.
Rutgers University’s Student Assembly (RUSA) turns into the primary American University scholar authorities to acknowledge Hinduphobia, together with a scholarly definition of #Hinduphobia institutionally. #UnderstandingHinduphobia2021 @rusa_nb #RutgersUniversity #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/Iv3uANGx8a— Rutgers HSC (@RutgersHSC) April 23, 2021
Chain of occasions main as much as the official recognition of Hinduphobia
In March this yr, a petition was initiated by a bunch of scholars asking Rutgers-Newark University to take robust motion in opposition to controversial ‘historian’ and Professor Audrey Truschke for demonising Hinduism. The petition was shared on Twitter by the ‘Hindu on Campus’ group. The college students had been miffed with Truschke’s steady vile and bigoted opinions in opposition to Hindus.
They stated that they had been “aghast at the bigotry being peddled against Hindus via continued derision of our religion, our deities, and our sacred texts” within the college, which is perhaps a possible menace to their safety, as it would result in “potential attacks, bullying, and backlash, either on campus or via social media, due to our faith.” The petition specified how the environment within the college was at odds with the Hindu college students as a result of hateful and vile anti-Hindu remarks made by professor Audrey Truschke on numerous events.
On March 7, ‘Hindu on Campus’ group uncovered how Audrey Truschke had made problematic statements in opposition to Hinduism and indulged in informal racism in opposition to Hindus. At the time of US Capitol riots, Truschke tweeted concerning the presence of an Indian flag on the scene to indicate it to be the handiwork of Hindu Right. In one other occasion, Truschke had misinterpreted the sacred Hindu non secular textual content of Bhagavad Gita and accused it of rationalising mass slaughter. Truschke had additionally equated a gangrape case in India to an incident within the Hindu epic of Mahabharata, primarily alluding that Hindu tradition endorses “rape culture” and misogyny.
In a press release on March 9, Rutgers -Newark University got here out in defence of Audrey Truschke. “Rutgers emphatically supports Professor Truschke’s academic freedom in pursuing her scholarship, abhors the vile messages and threats being directed at her, and calls for an immediate end to them…Scholarship is sometimes controversial, perhaps especially when it is at the interface of history and religion, but the freedom to pursue such scholarship, as Professor Truschke does rigorously, is at the heart of the enterprise,” it said.
In a letter on March 17, the school members of Rutgers University got here out in help of Truschke. We insist {that a} vital examination of Hindutva, a political ideology, just isn’t the identical factor as Hinduphobia,” the assertion learn. It then goes on to a well-known Hinduphobic narrative, accusing Hindus of atrocities in opposition to Muslims and different minorities. “Dr. Truschke’s critique of the former rests on its majoritarian expression in India, in ways that threaten the safety, security, and equality of Muslims and other minorities,” they claimed.
The school members stated that that they had confidence in “Truschke’s respect for Hindus and Hinduism and its compatibility with a critique of Hindu nationalism as a social and political enterprise.” The school members additionally applauded the Rutgers administration for defending Audrey Truschke. The episode had traumatised each present and potential Hindu college students a lot in order that they’ve determined in opposition to making use of to the University.
On declaring the testimonials of verified present and potential Hindu college students, the Senior Vice President of ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ at Rutgers University blocked the Twitter deal with of ‘Hindus on Campus’. As such, the adoption and the official recognition of Hinduphobia on campus by a US college by its scholar physique marks the start of a paradigm shift in attitudes in the direction of Hindus.