Sikh, MSA and other student organizations signed a joint statement denouncing the invitation of Dr. Sachin Nandha
By KHADEEJAH KHAN — campus@theaggie.org
14 UC Davis Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) and student groups signed a joint statement condemning Hindu YUVA’s invitation of Sachin Nandha, a proponent of Hindu nationalist ideology, leading to the cancellation of the event that same day.
Hindu YUVA, a religious student group, was scheduled to host Nandha at Hart Hall 1150 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24, for a discussion on his book “Hedgewar: A Definitive Biography.” In their statement, the 14 groups expressed concern about Nandha’s social media activity, citing that he had reposted anti-Sikh and Islamophobic sentiment.
Nandha, a scholar and the director of the International Centre for Sustainability in the United Kingdom, had spoken at several Hindu YUVA chapters across the country as part of his book tour. The book is a biography of Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, founder of the right-wing Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Organizations that signed the Oct. 24 statement included Punjabis at UC Davis, Sikh Collegiate Federation, Muslim Student Association (MSA), Students for Justice in Palestine and the ASUCD Executive Office.
“The RSS has not only expressed admiration for fascist movements, such as Nazi Germany, but has also had a long history of promoting the oppression of religious minorities in India, including Sikhs and Muslims,” the joint statement reads. “Due to the longstanding beliefs of the RSS, as well as Nandha’s own viewpoints, we strongly condemn this event.”
Hindu YUVA said their event was meant for “open discussion” as part of Nandha’s book tour visiting chapters of the club across the country.
“The event, intended as a conversation and open discussion, was meant to reflect the speakers’ scholarship and his research-based understanding of Hedgewar’s role in decolonization and rebuilding social capital in Indian society,” Hindu YUVA said in a statement to The California Aggie. “We invite all organizations to engage in a respectful dialogue to broaden our understanding of each others’ perspectives, regardless of the extent to which they may differ.”
For students like Harshpartap Dhillon, a second-year biological sciences student and ASUCD Senator, the promotion of RSS ideology on campus carries traumatic historical memories. Hindu nationalism contributed to the 1984 Sikh genocide in India, where thousands of Sikhs were killed and the Golden Temple, a place of worship, was destroyed by the Indian military. For Sikhs in the diaspora like Dhillon, the memory of 1984 lingers.
“Within my family, we have seen the effects of this genocide,” Dhillon said. “The reason a lot of my family came here to the United States [was] to escape that genocide. We left India to be safe from the oppression of our government. If we see this ideology coming and infringing upon our rights and our liberties and talking about all these ideas that really traumatized our communities, that defeats the entire purpose of coming to America in the first place if we can’t even be safe here.”
For MSA, the promotion of RSS is especially concerning following Hindu nationalist violence in Gujarat in 2002, where over a thousand Muslims were killed during nationalist attacks.
“The RSS backed violence against Gujarat, where predominantly Muslim civilians were targeted, killed, displaced and had their homes destroyed, under the conditions of state complicity and large-scale communal targeting,” MSA said in a statement to The Aggie. “Given this history and these ideologies, it is important for us as Muslim students, and as people committed to justice, to show that we will not allow forces that promote hate and exclusion to use our campus as a platform.”
When asked about whether the organization will collaborate with Sikh, Muslim or other student organizations in the future, Hindu YUVA said it “continues to work with all individuals and organizations that support our right to free expression and uphold the spirit of pluralism.”
“All of our events, including the event in question, aim to increase and broaden our appreciation of distinct and apparently contrasting viewpoints through a series of mutual dialogue and conversation and are aligned with the UC Davis Principles of Community,” Hindu YUVA’s statement reads. “As the only Hindu student organization at UC Davis, Hindu YUVA remains committed to fostering earnest inquiry and respectful discussions about Hinduness — our philosophy and history. Any attempts to mischaracterize the intentions and purpose of Hindu YUVA at UCD are categorically baseless.”
The RSOs who signed on the letter have said they have reached out to Hindu YUVA on various occasions prior to releasing a public statement but received no reply.
The Fijian Student Association, who hosted a joint Diwali event on Oct. 19 with Hindu YUVA, released a statement shortly after the joint letter emphasizing that they “do not endorse the rhetoric being discussed at this (Hindu YUVA) event.”
“Our recent collaboration for Diwali Dhamaka was to celebrate this holiday and culture with UC Davis,” the statement reads. “Our event focused on community, inclusivity, and respect for all. FSA intends to maintain these values in all of our events and collaborations, past, present, and future. We stand in solidarity with our community members, offering compassion and understanding during this time.”
Hindu YUVA took down their Instagram post about the event and cancelled the speaker event late that same day, Oct. 24. The RSOs who had signed on the joint statement were planning to hold a protest on the East Quad in response to the event, though the demonstration was also called off following the event’s cancellation.
“We’re not against the organization,” Dhillon said. “We’re against ideas that they’re promoting. As Sikhs and Muslims and other minorities, we have a lot of trauma attached with the things that have happened to us, whether it be the genocide in Punjab in the 1980s, or the genocide in Gujarat. When we see someone striking or touching that part of our identity, we see that trauma that our community carries.”
Written by: Khadeejah Khan — campus@theaggie.org
