Urging Public and Private Institutions to Educate their Human Resource (HR) Department on Hindu Supremacy
As our workplace becomes increasingly multicultural, it’s essential to recognize and respect the diverse socio-economic, ethnic, national, cultural, and religious backgrounds of our employees. A healthy and inclusive working environment is critical to the productivity and well-being of all workers.
As of 2021, there are 5.4 million South Asians living in the United States, many of whom come from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. Hindu supremacists—political, social, and cultural actors—often promote a narrative of supremacy. They mislead non-South Asians by framing any criticism of their supremacist ideology as an attack on Hinduism. These groups exploit the lack of awareness about this distinction, making it difficult for people to separate religious beliefs from political agendas. However, Hinduism is a religion, while Hindu supremacy is a political project.
In several instances, when individuals in the workplace have criticized Hindu supremacy, the issue is presented to HR as an attack on Hinduism. This misunderstanding leads to unnecessary inquiries and causes mental distress for those who are wrongly accused.
It is critical for HR to understand the distinction between political criticism and religious criticism. Training on this issue is necessary to create a safe, supportive, and productive work environment.
This conference urges public and private institutions to educate their HR teams on this distinction. Organizations like the Ambedkar King Study Circle, which has been working in this field for years, are eager to collaborate with HR departments to address this important issue.
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