Page 18 - The Indian EYE 090222

NORTH AMERICAN Newsline SEPTEMBER 02, 2022 | The Indian Eye 18

INDIA INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE, NEW JERSEY
IBA apologizes for divisive float after outrage,

protest and severe backlash

The parade featured a bulldozer which was decorated with posters of
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath

OUR BUREAU Joseph A. Coyle, Council Pres-
ident of Edison, also criticized the
Edison, NJ
acts. “I would not have participated
fter a huge controversy, the in the parade had I known [about the
president of the Indian Busi- bulldozer]. I would have walked right
Aness Association (IBA) has is- off the street. And I’m sure I speak for
sued a letter of apology to the mayors every council member and any official
of Edison and Woodbridge for includ- in Edison or the state of New Jersey,”
ing a divisive float in the 2022 India In- said Coyle.
dependence Day parade that offend- A group of state legislators from
ed some community members and the Asian American Pacific Islander
sparked a severe backlash against IBA. (AAPI) communities also released a
“Our parade should never be statement condemning the inclusion
about politics and should never in- of a bulldozer in the parade.
clude these blatant divisive symbols. The 18th Annual India Day Pa-
Our parade should recognize us as rade began at the intersection of Cin-
South Asians living in two of the best der Rd & Oak Tree Rd in Edison and
towns in the country,” Chandrakant ended at Middlesex Ave & Oak Tree
Patel, IBA president said, in letter to Rd in Woodbridge.
Edison Mayor Sam Joshi and Wood- In an important development,
bridge Mayor John McCormac. Edison Mayor Sam Joshi said sym-
“We hereby made the commit- bols of hate and discrimination are
ment that we will not allow these not welcome in the township. In a
symbols in the future and that we statement on Monday, Joshi said Ed-
will work with all different groups of ison is committed to celebrating and
South Asian heritage to make sure working in harmony with people from
that our parade remains the best in all cultures.
the State of New Jersey,” said Patel in Now the IBA has offered an un-
a letter issued on August 30. conditional apology.
Patel said in his letter that the “The parade should be and has
organization offers sincere apologies always been about a celebration of
for certain aspects of the parade that The apology letter issues by the IBA president our Indian heritage and inclusion and
“reflected poorly on our organization diversity among our many different
and offended the Indian American out at two different Edison Township Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) cultures and religions,” Patel said in
minority groups, especially Muslims, Council meetings to voice their op- said they had met with attorneys from his letter. “Unfortunately, there was
from the local area and across the position on the meaning and use of the US Attorney General’s office and a bulldozer among the floats in the
state and country,” the symbol. Some members called for the New Jersey Attorney General’s parade which is a divisive image that
The row started on August 14 the Indian Business Association to be office to seek legal action against the did not reflect our mission. It was seen
when IBA hosted an India Day pa- held accountable. parade’s organizers. quite negatively by many who are
rade along Oak Tree Road from On August 22, leading civil rights The Edison Township Council deeply impacted and insulted by cer-
Edison to Woodbridge, two Central organizations in New Jersey demand- also denounced the spectacle of a tain activities that have been happen-
Jersey communities with large Asian ed immediate investigative and le- bulldozer during the celebrations. ing in India. Many who participated or
Indian populations and business dis- gal action from the US Department “This is clearly giving a message of in- watched the parade or heard about the
tricts. The parade marked the 75th of Justice, the US Department of timidation to American Indian Mus- activities from social media accounts
anniversary of India’s independence. Homeland Security, and the Federal lims and other minorities saying ‘We were offended by this symbol and by
The parade also featured a bull- Bureau of Investigation against the are here, we are in control and you comments made by our guest speak-
dozer which was decorated with post- Overseas Friends of the BJP (OFB- can’t do anything, even in America,” er and that was not our intention.”
ers of Indian Prime Minister Naren- JP) and the Indian Business Associa- said Dylan Terpstra, operations coor- Selaedin Maksut, executive direc-
dra Modi and Yogi Adityanath, the tion (IBA) for their roles in organiz- dinator at CAIR-NJ. At the meeting, tor of CAIR-NJ, the New Jersey chap-
chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, who ing the parade. At a press conference Terpstra drew a comparison on how ter of the Council on American-Islam-
has earned the nickname “Bulldozer held at Edison Township in New Jer- the bulldozer served to fear monger ic Relations, said the IBA’s apology
Baba”. The construction equipment is sey, Indian American Muslim Council Muslims the same way the Black com- acknowledged its wrongdoing, which
viewed as a symbol of hate, particular- (IAMC), Council on American Islam- munity faced intimidation with the he said is a step toward making future
ly by the Muslim community. ic Relations-New Jersey (CAIR-NJ), symbol of the noose throughout histo- parades representative of the Indi-
Following the parade, many from Black Lives Matter (BLM), American ry, which struck a chord with Council an population, including Muslims,
the Asian Indian community, turned Muslims for Democracy (AMD), and Vice President Joyce Ship-Freeman. Christians, Sikhs, Dalits and Tribals.

www.TheIndianEYE.com