NYC India Day parade float sparks backlash over anti-Muslim claims
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY, UNITED STATES - 2015/08/16: Zoom float models with Indian flag. The Federation of India staged its 35th annual India Day Parade along Madison Avenue in Midtown, New York. (Photo by Andy Katz/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Get
NEW YORK - A float to be featured in this year's India Day parade in New York City is being criticized for being anti-Muslim.
Despite this year's theme – Vasudev Kutumbakam – meaning "the world is one family," parade organizers and community faith-based groups seem to be divided.
The Indian American Muslim Council and other groups are calling on parade organizers to remove a float that features the Ram Mandir, saying that the temple symbolizes the destruction of mosques and violence against Muslims in India.
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The parade is considered to be the largest outside of India drawing hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers with Indian and South Asian origin.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams responded to the debate, saying that there was "no room for hate" in New York, which his office says is home to the nation’s largest Indian American population – with more than 247,000 residents.
"I want to send the right symbolic gesture that the city’s open to everyone and there’s no room for hate," Adams said. "If there is a float or a person in the parade that’s promoting hate, they should not."
Ram Mandir float
"This is not merely a cultural display, but a vulgar celebration of anti-Muslim heat, bigotry, and religious supremacy," the Indian American Muslim Council and others wrote in a letter earlier this month addressed to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Adams.
Hindus are the majority in India, but the country is still home to nearly 200 million Muslims who frequently come under attack by Hindu nationalists.
The figurine commemorates a Hindu temple that was built on top of the ruins of the 16th-century Babri mosque, which was destroyed by Hindu nationalist mobs in 1992.
MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY, NY, UNITED STATES - 2019/08/18: Indian Police officers march during the 39th Annual India Day Parade held at the Madison Avenue in New York City. (Photo by Efren Landaos/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The pink sandstone temple cost $217 million to build and is dedicated to Ram, a god who Hindus believe was born at the site.
"As we celebrate what we consider a vital aspect of our faith through the celebration of the landmark, we unequivocally reject violence and hate in any form, including any damage to any religious place of worship," Ankur Vaidya, chairman of the Federation of Indian Associations, which is organizing the event, said in a statement. "We stand for peaceful coexistence and encourage everyone to embrace this value.
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MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY, NY, UNITED STATES - 2019/08/18: Children wearing Indian garb seen during the 39th Annual India Day Parade held at the Madison Avenue in New York City. (Photo by Efren Landaos/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
In a follow-up email late Thursday, Adams’ office said the mayor has no plans to attend Sunday’s parade, which he has attended in years past.
It also noted that the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment prevents the city from denying a permit or requiring that a float or parade’s message be changed simply because it does not agree with the content.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.