Umm Muhammed Umar

Many communities around the world that have large expat Indian and Pakistani populations observe Independence Day celebrations around the middle of August. With the Indian and Pakistani diaspora across the world, celebrations are held in London, and in Birmingham, in the UK, and in many cities across the US as well. The State of New Jersey has a very high expat population. This year’s celebrations there, however, involved a bulldozer and all it signifies. Radio Islam spoke to Brother Dillon Terpes, Operations Coordinator for CAIR, New Jersey.

Brother Dillon said that the inclusion of a bulldozer in the Indian Independence Day Parade on Sunday, August 14, was a clear message of intimidation for the Indian Muslim community. The event was organized by the Indian Business Association. Brother Dillon said, “They are a private NPO, but they received political participation from many elected officials from the state level, the local level, the county level, and none of them knew that this would occur – that they were using a bulldozer, the symbol of hate, the symbol that has been created this year in India, where Muslims and other minorities, (such as) Christians, see their homes, mosques, businesses, churches bulldozed, because they speak out against Hindutva leaders.” He added that posters showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had been stuck on the bulldozer. Adityanath is known as ‘Baba Bulldoze’, which was also written, in Hindi, on the bulldozer. In Uttar Pradesh province, where he hails from, if there is any opposition toward his policies, people shout, “Bring the bulldozers.”

Regarding whether there had been calls for the parade to be suspended in future, or at the very least, for a plan, so that these types of incidents could be avoided, Brother Dillon said that there had been no portrayals of Gandhi, Nehru, or any other historical Indian figures at the parade. He said, “So, there was a lot of saffron, there were Jai Sriram chants – this was not an inclusive India parade; Indian Muslims and other minorities did not feel included.” He said that some community members had called for the suspension or disbandment of their ability to hold the parade, but that the Indian Business Association had a 10-year permit for it. Further, in the US, there is a careful balance with the freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, and the right to hold these events. Brother Dillon said, “However, community members did feel intimidated…… community members showing and expressing their fear created by this, in what is a clear message sent to them directly.”

The organizers, meanwhile, have since been silent. There has been no statement either supporting or denouncing the actions, nor any apology. Brother Dillon said that the CAIR, New Jersey office was working with the New Jersey chapter of the Indian American Muslim Council and other community organizers. They have met with the mayors of the both towns where this has taken place. Brother Dillon said, “One of the mayors is of Indian descent. His name is Sam Joshi. So, we’ve met with him we’ve met with the other mayor, community members just last night spoke at a public city council meeting of Edison, New Jersey where the parade started.” Edison is known as a hub for Indian Americans across the U, with a substantial number of Indian expats and immigrants, a significant portion of whom are Muslim. He said that CAIR was trying to leverage the mayors to demand an apology. However, even getting their condemnation, publicly, was difficult.

The community organizers have been in contact with state federal agencies, the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and so on. However, freedom of speech and assembly had to be taken into consideration. The event is currently being investigated by the Edison Police Department as an act of biased intimidation, based on how community members – Muslims, and other Indian minorities feel about this intentional message to them: Hindutva – we are here and you can’t do anything about it. The Grand Marshal of the parade, Sanbit Patra, is also a spokesperson for overseas BJP, for Yogi Adityanath, and Narendra Modi, so, “There was really no Indian culture, no Sikh flow, no Muslim flow, no Christian involvement, just Hindutva.”