In a letter to DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, five Indian-American lawmakers– Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, Shri Thanedar, Pramila Jayapal and Ami Bera, noted that there is a feeling of “collective anxiety” amongst Hindu Americans due to the surge in hate crimes.
Indian-American lawmakers in US House of Representatives have flagged the issue of surging “hate crimes” against Hindus and the rising incident of vandalism of temples in the United States and sought a briefing on issue from the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
In a letter to Kristen Clarke of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, five Indian-American lawmakers– Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, Shri Thanedar, Pramila Jayapal and Ami Bera, noted that there is a feeling of “collective anxiety” amongst Hindu Americans due to the surge in hate crimes against the community.
“Attacks at mandirs from New York to California have contributed to increased collective anxiety among Hindu Americans,” they said.
“Leaders from these impacted communities have expressed there are unfortunately ‘no leads’ on suspects, leaving many to continue to live in fear and intimidation. Our communities remain concerned about law enforcement coordination regarding these bias-motivated crimes, and they are left wondering if there is appropriate federal oversight to ensure equal protection under the law,” they stated in their letter.
‘Must determine intent behind these acts’
This is one of the rarest occasions when all five Indian-American lawmakers in the current House of Representatives have come together on a issue.
“The number of incidents and the closeness of the timing of incidents raise troubling questions about linkages and the intent behind them,” the letter read.
“It takes relatively few coordinated acts of hate to create fear within a community that has often been marginalized or neglected, and we must work collaboratively to combat hate against all religious, ethnic, racial, and cultural minorities in America. We therefore request that you provide us with an understanding of what the Department’s strategy is specifically concerning hate crimes targeting Hindus in the United States,” they wrote.
Alarming rise in vandalism at Hindu temples
The Indian-American representatives observed that there has been an alarming increase in incidents of vandalism in houses of worship across the country, including at Hindu temples, and asked the a briefing on the status of investigations concerning these crimes to better understand existing law enforcement coordination between local agencies, the FBI, and the Civil Rights Division..
“Given the urgency of the situation, we ask that you provide us with a briefing no later than Thursday, April 18th,” they wrote in the letter dated March 29 which was released to the media on April 1.
The move has been welcomed by Indian-American leaders.
“In Q1 2024, we witnessed a sudden spike in vandalism as well as thefts in temples in America… Against the backdrop of local officials often failing to investigate the cases to find the culprits, we thank the Indian-American House of Representatives for asking the FBI and DOJ to investigate,” said Khanderao Kand, chief of policy and strategy at the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS).
(With PTI inputs)
