Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) in Maryland has cancelled a planned Hindi-language book event following protests from a coalition of civil rights and faith-based organisations over the involvement of a group linked to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA).
The event, titled “Many Languages, One Library: Celebrating Hindi,” was scheduled to take place at the Germantown Library to mark the launch of a new collection of around 160 Hindi-language books. However, the library announced the cancellation, stating it would “reimagine” the celebration to ensure a more inclusive, community-centred approach.
The decision followed a backlash first reported by Bethesda Today, which detailed objections from a coalition of organisations that raised concerns about the participation of a local Hindi school affiliated with the VHPA.
Coalition raises concerns
The coalition included national and local advocacy groups such as Hindus for Human Rights, the Indian American Muslim Council, the Sikh Coalition, Dalit Solidarity Forum USA, No Hindutva Maryland, and Peace Action Montgomery.
In a joint letter, the groups argued that their objection was not to Hindi language or Hindu culture, but to “political ideology entering public institutions under the guise of cultural programming,” warning that such ideology has been documented as exclusionary and harmful.
They further alleged that the VHPA is part of a broader transnational network aligned with Hindutva — a political ideology that seeks to define India as a Hindu nation — and said its inclusion in a public library event was inconsistent with values of diversity and inclusion.
This story was originally published in nriaffairs.com. Read the full story here.
