A speech scheduled for Saturday in New York City by Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist organization, is facing significant backlash. The event, titled “Universal Oneness Celebration” and organized by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue, is expected to draw around 5,000 attendees to Madison Square Garden.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has publicly opposed the event, characterizing the RSS ideology as exclusionary and contrary to the city’s pluralistic values. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a bipartisan federal body, has urged the U.S. government to consider sanctions against RSS members and to revoke Bhagwat’s visa, citing alleged religious freedom violations in India. India's Ministry of External Affairs has dismissed the commission's remarks as biased.
Critics accuse the RSS and its ideological offshoot, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of promoting Hindutva, an ideology that seeks to define Indian culture and national identity through Hindu values. The group has faced accusations of fostering intolerance and committing human rights violations, including targeting minority communities. Several interfaith and civil rights organizations, including Hindus for Human Rights and the Indian American Muslim Council, have called for the event's cancellation.
Sunita Viswanath, executive director of Hindus for Human Rights, stated that her organization and 60 others signed an open letter protesting the event, intending to convey that “the RSS and their Hindutva ideology do not represent us.”
Organizers, however, describe the event as a collaboration among over 200 Hindu American organizations, built on the Sanskrit phrase “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” meaning “the world is one family.” They state the event aims to broaden the idea of mutual responsibility from family to all of humanity and the natural world, drawing inspiration from the Hindu festival of Rakshabandhan.
Bhagwat's visit is viewed by some, such as Bill Drexel, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute specializing in US-India relations, as part of an effort by the RSS to engage with the international community and potentially reshape its image. Drexel noted that Bhagwat has recently moderated some of his public statements, suggesting a new phase for the organization now that its affiliated political party is in power in India.
Sunil Ambekar, the RSS national spokesperson, stated that Bhagwat intends to communicate with a diverse, multicultural, and multifaith audience, emphasizing the event's adherence to an inclusive and welcoming Indian ethos. Ambekar described the initiative as aligning with the RSS's tradition of engaging with varied communities globally to foster understanding and shared purpose.
Despite these claims of inclusivity, critics like Viswanath remain skeptical, asserting that the underlying Hindutva ideology persists.
The Hindu American Foundation has issued an advisory for attendees, urging vigilance and civility, while also calling on Mayor Mamdani to uphold his duty to protect all New York City residents regardless of their background or beliefs.