We at Hindu YUVA draw our inspiration from the ancient Hindu civilizational values that have espoused learning of diverse, and often contrasting, viewpoints. With that spirit, we have always welcomed those who have contrasting viewpoints with openness and engaged in a process of constructive dialogue rooted in mutual respect and appreciation to provide a learning opportunity for all those involved. This dialogue, we believe, is a requirement for coming together to learn and progress as individuals and communities. In continuing this tradition at Hindu YUVA, we hosted a conversation with J Sai Deepak focusing on the evolution of the Bharatiya Civilization with students at UC Berkeley on March 3, 2024.

J Sai Deepak, an eminent lawyer of the Supreme Court of India and a best-selling author, presented the importance of Bharat’s cultural renaissance, bias against native scholars, and the role of Hindu Americans in being ambassadors for a decolonized Hindu Dharma. Over 200 students from UC Berkeley and members of Hindu YUVA attended the dialogue and engaged in a meaningful and enriching conversation spanning the history of Hindu civilization, the role of Hindutva in the current socio-political landscape of India, and the relationship between India – the postcolonial nation-state and Bharat, the birthplace of Hindu civilization that Indian diaspora in the US draws its inspiration from.

Through all of Hindu YUVA’s events and activities, we create a vibrant space to preserve and share the rich tapestry of Hindu Dharma and serve the community. From festival celebrations to thought-provoking discussions and guest speakers, we foster a community that thrives on learning and practicing Hindu Dharma. This engagement not only strengthens our own understanding of Hindu Dharma and its traditions, but also protects our freedom to practice and share about our religion on campus.

Despite our best efforts to include individuals of all viewpoints, we sadly note the few student groups who unsuccessfully attempted to cancel this dialogue. We strongly condemn the intention of these students to showcase a toxic narrative built on fabricated information about Indian political issues and an extremely misplaced blame by projecting them onto Hindu students at UC Berkeley. Because the attempts at online and physical intimidation blatantly called for canceling our ability to present a conversation about evolution of one of the most ancient civilizations and the land where it originates from, it is our responsibility to clarify our values, our practices, and our stand on record.

In the current atmosphere, where hate and phobias of “the other” are emanating from a deep sense of isolated viewpoints, we at Hindu YUVA will continue to be the voice of reason, dialogue, and safety. The fact that some groups simply choose rage over respect, reason, and dialogue to intimidate Hindu students, student organizations, and faculty members for simply exploring their culture are a textbook example of the Hinduphobia that many Hindus across numerous University campuses constantly face.

Although the statements of the said groups speak of inclusivity and against hate, their conduct in person to physically intimidate attendees, other students, and members of Hindu YUVA are categorically abhorrent and resemble the very closed mentality they claim to protest against and are in stark contrast with the liberal values they claim to stand for!

We remain steadfast in our commitment to present diverse Hindu viewpoints to provide the students, faculty, and staff at Berkeley a platform to learn the rich heritage that their fellow Cal students practice.

Nevertheless, we want to highlight the support and protection from the University police, fellow student organization allies, and the large vibrant and beautiful UC Berkeley community that we have all come to love and call home. Despite the threatening nature of the protests, we feel confident to continue creating a safe space on campus for all students to celebrate heritage and identity while engaging in potentially hard topics to navigate.

Although we welcome their right to oppose the speaker’s viewpoint in the spirit of a vibrant, liberal, and just student community at Berkeley, we strongly condemn the hateful and narrow-minded Hinduphobic narrative built in the last few days while refusing to engage in a dialogue. As enshrined in our fundamental values as Hindus, we continue to celebrate plurality of viewpoints through our initiatives at over 75 university campuses, by practicing, promoting, preserving, and protecting Hindu Dharma and Culture.

(The article was published on Hinduyuva.org on March 05, 2024 and has been reproduced here)