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Ram Mandir float in NYC's India Day parade stirs controversy

August 17, 2024

Several associations have called the float "anti-Muslim" since it shows a temple built over the ruins of a mosque — a point of friction between Hindu and Muslim communities in India.

https://p.dw.com/p/4jZUJ
Devotees queue to get glimpse of a statue of the hindu god Ram one day after consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir on January 23, 2024 in Ayodhya, India. The Ram Mandir, a temple built at a site thought to be the birth place of Lord Rama, a significant figure in Hindu religion, was inaugurated on Jan. 22, 2024.
The new Ram Mandir temple was inaugurated with much fanfare by India's government earlier in the yearImage: Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images

A carnival float depicting a controversial Hindu temple planned for an upcoming India Day parade in the streets of New York City has sparked criticism, with several groups calling it "anti-Muslim."

The float depicts the Ram Mandir — a grand pink sandstone temple built for the Hindu god Ram, in the holy city of Ayodhya. The temple was built on top of the ruins of the 16th-century Babri mosque, which was destroyed by Hindu nationalist mobs in 1992.

Consecrated and opened in January 2024 by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the temple remains a controversial topic and a bitter reminder of the communal bloodshed in 1992 for some. 

Newly built Hindu Ram temple exposes rift in Indian society

What did the groups say?

The Council on American Islamic Relations, Indian American Muslim Council and Hindus for Human Rights were among groups that signed a letter to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, saying that the float glorified the mosque's takedown.

"This float's presence represents these groups' desire to conflate Hindu nationalist ideology with Indian identity, but India is a secular country," the letter said.  "This is not merely a cultural display, but a vulgar celebration of anti-Muslim heat, bigotry, and religious supremacy."

On the other hand, the Hindu American Foundation said it was an exercise of free speech.

Meanwhile the Federation of Indian Associations — the group that is organizing the event — said the float celebrated the inauguration of a landmark significant to Hindus. It also said the parade represents the country's diversity and will feature floats from various communities in India.

Archive image of people in New York city during the 40th Annual India Day Parade in Manhattan in 2022.
This year's India Day parade will mark the 42nd year of NYC celebrating India's independenceImage: Milo Hess/ZUMA Press Wire/picture alliance

What did the mayor say?

Mayor Adam's office, earlier this week, said there was "no room for hate" but that the US Constitution's First Amendment right to free speech prevented the city from withdrawing the permit or ordering changes to the float. 

His office later said he did not plan on attending the event, despite having done so in the last few years.

The India Day parade in NYC has been taking place every year for over four decades, to mark the celebration of India's independence from the British on August 15, 1947. 

Recycling temple flowers

mk/msh (Reuters, AP)