There has been a controversy over the upcoming India Day parade in New York, USA. In this parade, a tableau depicts the Ram temple of Ayodhya, which many groups have opposed, calling it anti-Muslim. Opposing this, some organizations and people have written a letter to the Mayor of New York.
Some American organizations have written a letter to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, calling the tableau anti-Muslim and saying that it glorifies the demolition of the mosque. The groups that signed the letter include the Council on American Islamic Relations, the Indian American Muslim Council. Apart from this, Hindus for Human Rights is also among the signatories.
The presence of this tableau demonstrates a desire to link Hindu nationalist ideology with Indian identity, even though India is a secular country,” the letter said.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, which organised the tableau, says it represents a Hindu place of worship and is intended to glorify a deity seen as an important part of Indian and Hindu identity.
The Hindu American Foundation said it was a matter of freedom of expression. The Federation of Indian Associations, which runs Sunday’s event, said the parade represents India’s cultural diversity and will feature floats from different communities.
In a press conference earlier this week, Mayor Adams said that “there is no place for hate. If there is a float or an individual in the parade that is promoting hate, they should not be doing it.” Adams’ office later told the Associated Press that the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prevents the city from denying a permit or demanding that a float or parade’s message be changed simply because it disagrees with the content.
His office also said late Thursday that Mayor Adams has no plans to attend Sunday’s parade, though he has attended in past years.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)