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    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                           SEPTEMBER 11, 2026       |  The Indian Eye 22

                 IOC USA opposes RSS’ Growing

                            Clout in the United States

            OUR BUREAU
            New York, NY
                  he Indian Overseas Congress,
                  USA (IOCUSA) has expressed
            Tconcern over the American tour
            of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and the
            growing effort to present the Rashtriya
            Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to Amer-
            ican audiences as a benign cultural
            organization promoting “universal
            oneness” and civilizational dialogue.
                The American public, particu-
            larly political, business, religious and
            civic leaders who may interact with
            RSS representatives, deserves to un-
            derstand the history, ideology and po-
            litical consequences associated with
            the organization, IOC USA said in a
            statement.
                The ideological history of the
            RSS  and  important  figures  in  the
            Hindutva movement also deserves
            serious examination, IOC USA said.
            “Writings associated with early Hin-  RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat addresses at ‘One World One Humanity’ event, in New York on (One World One Humanity/ ANI Video Grab)
            dutva ideologues contained deeply
            troubling discussions in praise of Eu-  United States as enjoying the free-  George Abraham, Vice-Chairman of   specifically  recommended  that  the
            ropean ethnic nationalism and the   doms and protections guaranteed by   the Indian Overseas Congress, USA.  United States impose targeted sanc-
            treatment of minorities in Nazi Ger-  the American constitutional system.   “Dr. Ambedkar helped give India   tions against individuals and entities,
            many. Such history cannot simply be   Many Indian Americans have proud-  a Constitution founded upon liberty,   including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak
            erased by replacing the language of   ly become citizens of this country and   equality and fraternity, while Jawa-  Sangh (RSS), for what the Commis-
            majoritarian nationalism with con-  sworn allegiance to the Constitution   harlal Nehru envisioned a modern,   sion described as their “responsibility
            temporary slogans about harmony   of the United States..            secular and pluralistic republic. Re-  and tolerance of severe violations of
            and universal brotherhood.”           “Indian Americans have pros-  placing that vision with religious ma-  religious freedom.” USCIRF recom-
                The consequences are not simply   pered because America, despite its   joritarianism would radically change   mended measures that could include
            theoretical.  Human-rights  organiza-  faults and continuing struggles, has   the character of the Indian Republic.”  freezing U.S.-based assets and/or bar-
            tions,  religious-freedom  monitors,   sought to build a society where a per-  Mr. Abraham also warned of the   ring responsible individuals or entities
            journalists and civil-society groups   son’s opportunities and citizenship   danger of importing India’s ideological   from entering the United States, IOC
            have repeatedly raised concerns   are not determined by whether he   conflicts into their adopted homeland.  USA said.
            about discrimination, hate speech,   or she is Hindu, Christian, Muslim,   “We must not allow the politics   “The future of India must re-
            intimidation and violence affecting   Sikh, Jewish or belongs to no religion   of religious hatred to take root with-  main faithful to the constitutional
            Muslims, Christians and other mi-  at all.  We  should be  strengthening   in  our  diaspora.  It  will  divide  our   promise of liberty, equality, fraternity
            nority communities in India.      those principles and not importing   temples, churches, mosques, gurd-  and equal citizenship, not religious
                “The RSS may speak of “oneness”   sectarian conflicts that can divide In-  waras, associations, neighborhoods   supremacy. And the future of the In-
            abroad, but genuine unity cannot be   dian American communities, poison   and eventually our children. What-  dian American community must be
            built by demanding conformity at   relationships among neighbors and   ever our political differences, the In-  built upon the same democratic prin-
            home. There is no meaningful democ-  transmit religious hatred to future   dian American community must not   ciples that enabled our community to
            racy when the worth of citizenship is   generations,” it said.      become  an  overseas  battlefield  for   flourish in the United States. We must
            measured by religious identity. There   “India belongs  equally  to  the   groups aiming to polarize India along   not import the politics of division into
            can be no credible message of na-  Hindu who worships in a temple, the   religious lines.”            America. We must not weaponize
            tional unity when minorities live with   Muslim who prays in a mosque, the   The seriousness of these concerns   religion. And we must never remain
            fear that their faith, culture or patri-  Christian who worships in a church,   is highlighted by the United States   silent when supremacy is repackaged
            otism will constantly be questioned,”   the Sikh who enters a gurdwara, and   Commission on International Reli-  for an American audience and given
            IOC USA said in the statement.    the citizen who professes no religion   gious Freedom (USCIRF), the inde-  the more respectable label of “univer-
                The IOCUSA said it was particu-  at  all.  That  was  the  promise  of  our   pendent bipartisan U.S. government   sal oneness.” After all, changing the
            larly troubled when some members of   Constitution, and no organization has   commission created by Congress to   label on  the bottle does not change
            the Indian American community pro-  the right to rewrite Indian citizenship   monitor religious freedom worldwide.   what is inside,” IOC USA said in its
            mote majoritarian ideologies in the   according to a religious test,” said   In its 2026 Annual Report, USCIRF   statement.

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