The OCADU & UofT “Rath Yatra” event has troubling symbolism. We call for an alternative approach to celebration.

The Hindu Students Council at the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCADU) and the University of Toronto (UofT) have scheduled an event titled “Rath Yatra & Art Mela” on 30th September at the universities. The event’s choice of the title “Rath Yatra” (literally translating to “chariot procession”) is steeped in the symbolism of Hindu nationalism that is associated with an anti-Muslim and caste-based hate and violence. Hindu nationalists are inspired by a Hindu supremacist ideology, which is Islamophobic, anti-Sikh, and casteist. A joint letter signed by 80+ organizations in Canada delivered to PM Trudeau in the form of a rally in Ottawa this past August details the oppression of religious minorities and oppressed groups in India at the hands of Hindu nationalists.

The "Rath Yatra" is symbolic of mass violence against Muslims and the oppression of Dalits by Hindu nationalists in India and in the diaspora. The rise of India’s Hindu nationalist ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and its parent body, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which is active in Canada, is attributed to the 1990 Rath Yatra. This led to the demolition of a historic mosque (Babri Masjid) in 1992, which resulted in mass ethnic violence against Muslims that continues to this day. “Rath Yatras” have since then been the catalyst for instigating violence against Muslims, other religious minorities, and oppressed communities.

The Jagannath temples (located in the Indian state of Odisha), which this event commemorates, have had a particularly long history of casteist discrimination including denying entry to Dr. Ambedkar, the Dalit leader who drafted India’s Constitution, and Mahatma Gandhi who attempted to enter with Dalit compatriots. Despite existing legislation in India banning caste discrimination, a court had to intervene in 2006 to force a Jagannath temple in Odisha to remove the ban on Dalits. Even after legal intervention, Odisha Jagannath temples continue to thwart entry into temples by Dalits  (for example, by designating different entries, casteist slurs, and so on). The "Rath Yatra" terminology is deeply traumatizing and fear-inducing for students who are Muslims or caste-oppressed or from other religious minorities of India. It is associated with incidents of gross violations of human rights.

Through this joint letter, we wish to bring awareness about  the “rath yatra”’s association with incidences of hate and violence against Muslims, caste-oppressed people, and other religious minorities in India. Universities are supposed to create spaces that promote learning for all students and not be a place where symbols of oppression, hostility and hate are celebrated. 

Given the concerns about the event promoting hate, we the undersigned call upon OCADU and UofT to:

• Condemn the use of the “rath yatra,” a symbol of hate, for the event;

• Encourage alternative approaches to celebrating Hindu heritage and culture; and 

• Use the opportunity to educate students, faculty, staff, and the wider public about Hindu nationalism and its hate-filled ideology.

  Signatures:

  1.     Vasanthi Venkatesh, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Windsor  

  2.     Aparna Sundar, Independent Scholar 

  3.     Anonymous, Anonymous 

  4.     Anonymous, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Scarborough 

  5.     Anonymous, PhD candidate, York University 

  6.     Anonymous, Anonymous 

  7.     Anonymous, Anonymous 

  8.     Divyani Motla, PhD, University of Toronto  

  9.     Anonymous, PhD researcher, Concordia University 

  10.  Anonymous, Student, Concordia University  

  11.  Gopika Solanki, Carleton University 

  12.  feroz mehdi, General Secretary, Alternatives International

  13.  Anonymous, Anonymous 

  14.  Patricia Roy, student UQAM

  15.  Jooneed Jeeroburkhan, Writer, Rights Activist, Retired Journalist 

  16.  Anonymous, CERAS 

  17.  Anne goldenberg, Artist, facilitator and teacher, uqam & uqo

  18.  Shahnaz Khan, Professor Emerita Wilfrid Laurier University 

  19.  Anonymous, Anonymous Anonymous

  20.  Naila Saeed, Vice President- International Council of Indian Muslims  

  21.  Anonymous

  22.  Vinod Mubayi, Insaf Bulletin 

  23.  Leena Manimekalai, Independent Filmmaker 

  24.  South Asian Dalit Adivasi Network, Canada (SADAN), Canada

  25.  Jonathan  McPhedran Waitzer, National Organizer, Resource Movement 

  26.  Anonymous, Anonymous 

  27.  Anonymous, Anonymous 

  28.  Jillian Rogin, Associate Professor, University of Windsor 

  29.  Cheryl Benson, Benson Visuals 

  30.  tess sheldon, Windsor Law 

  31.  Samantha Anne Chrisanthus, Lawyer 

  32.  Anonymous, Anonymous 

  33.  Shubhra Gururani, Director, York Centre for Asian Research,York University  

  34.  Terri Ginsberg, film scholar 

  35.  Anonymous, Anonymous 

  36.  Laurie Adkin, Professor, University of Alberta 

  37.  Bhavani Raman, University of Toronto 

  38.  Amina Jamal, Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University 

  39.  Indu Vashist, Executive Director, SAVAC (South Asian Visual Arts Centre)

  40.  Anonymous, AIMS

  41.  Anonymous, Assistant Professor (LTF), Department of Criminology, Toronto Metropolitan University 

  42.  Rita Kaur Dhamoon, Associate Professor, UVIC 

  43.  Sanaa Ali-Mohammed, PhD candidate, Toronto Metropolitan University  

  44.  Naved Bakali, Assistant Professor, University of Windsor 

  45.  Anonymous, Anonymous 

  46.  Angel glady J,  Queer Tamil collective 

  47.  Shozab Raza, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto 

  48.  Dia Da Costa, Professor of Social Justice and International Studies in Education, University of Alberta 

  49.  Anonymous, Anonymous 

  50.  Anonymous, Anonymous 

  51.  Mandeep Mucina, University of Victoria 

  52.  Anonymous, Anonymous 

  53.  Anonymous, Co-Founder  Canadians Against Oppression And Persecution(CAOP)

  54.  Mathew Edassery  

  55.  Jeffrey Monaghan, Associate Professor, Carleton University, Criminology 

  56.  Jeff Bale, Associate Professor, University of Toronto  

  57.  Irfana Majumdar, PhD student, York University 

  58.  Marina Seuve, Student 

  59.  Dr. Alicia Turner, Associate Professor, York University, Program Coordinator Religious Studies 

  60.  Shraddha Chatterjee, Visiting Scholar, University of Houston 

  61.  Htet Min Lwin, PhD student, Religious Studies, York University, Toronto 

  62.  Anonymous, Professor of Sociology, University of Alberta 

  63.  Salman Hussain, York University 

  64.  Anonymous, Anonymous 

  65.  Sabina Chatterjee, PhD Candidate, York University 

  66.  Dip Kapoor, Professor, University of Alberta, Social Justice & International Education Specialization

  67.  Nilanjan Das, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Toronto 

  68.  Anonymous, Associate Professor, University of Toronto 

  69.  Fahad Ahmad, Assistant Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University 

  70.  Rakesh Sengupta, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto 

  71.  Ahana , International League of Peoples' Struggle in Canada 

  72.  Dolores Chew, Faculty, Marianopolis College, Montreal 

  73.  CERAS (Centre sur l'asie du sud/South Asia Centre)

  74.  Hana Ahmed, PhD Student, York University 

  75.  Gurpreet Singh, Radical Desi 

  76.  Katherine Blouin, Associate Professor, University of Toronto 

  77.  Girish Daswani, Associate Professor, University of Toronto 

  78.  Anonymous, Collective member, Kashmir Gulposh 

  79.  Anonymous, York University / Student 

  80.  Alex Da Costa, Associate Professor, University of Alberta 

  81.  Ali Kazimi, Professor, York University 

  82.  Anonymous, Anonymous 

  83.  Marie Boti, President, Diffusion Multi-Monde Inc.

  84.  Amanda Montgomery, Student/Laurentian University 

  85.  Janet Lumb, Individual 

  86.  Freda Guttman, former teacher Dawson College 

  87.  Kajri Jain, Professor, University of Toronto 

  88.  Anonymous

  89.  Anonymous, Women of Diverse Origins 

  90.  Anonymous, PhD Student, York University 

  91.  Alisha Zaida Ali, Centennial College, Queer Tamil Collective

  92.  Min Sook Lee, Associate Professor, OCAD University  

  93.  Sheryl , Affiliated Scholar, New College, U of T 

  94.  Richard Fung, Professor Emeritus, OCAD University 

  95.  Alan Wong, Teacher, Vanier College

  96.  Anonymous

  97.  Anonymous, Anonymous

  98.  Anonymous, QPIRG Concordia

  99.  Anonymous, University of Toronto

  100.  Anonymous, Professor, University of Toronto

  101.  Critical Diasporic South Asian Feminisms, South Asian Academics at Multiple Canadian and US Institutions 

  102.  Malavika Kasturi, Associate Professor of History, University of Toronto

  103.  Ashique Ali Thuppilikkat, University of Toronto 

  104.  Anonymous

  105.  Siddan Chandra , kidocracy.com  

  106.  Jasmin Zine, Professor, Wilfrid Laurier University 

  107.  Hesser Garcia, Community organizer 

  108.  Baljit Nagra, Associate Professor, University of Ottawa  

  109.  Chinnaiah Jangam, Carleton University  

  110.  Rita Acosta, Directrice  Mouvement contre le viol et l'inceste

  111.  Ilan Kapoor, Professor York University

  112.  Anonymous, PhD student, York University 

  113.  rosalind hampton, Assitant Professor, University of Toronto 

  114.  Anonymous,  Canadians for Indian Democracy (CID)

  115.  Anonymous

  116.  Anonymous, Assistant Professor, OCAD University 

  117.  South Asian Diaspora Action Collective (SADAC)

  118.  Tazeen Hasan, Advocacy manager, Justice For All, Canada

  119.  Anonymous, Student, UofT

  120.  Afzal Rahman

  121.  Muhammed Ahmad, University of Alberta

  122.  Ashar Mumtaz, Concordia University 

  123.  Jyotika Virdi, Associate Professor, University of Windsor

  124.  Atul Jain, Financial advisor

  125.  Anonymous, Parent of a student

  126.  Anonymous

  127. J Sharma, Associate Professor University of Toronto 

  128.  Vinod Bhardwaj, Retired 

  129.  Anonymous, Anonymous

  130.  Vishwas Aggrawal, Consultant - Legal Services

  131.  Anupam Agarwal, CIBC

  132.  John Nathaniel Gertler, Student, Concordia University

Signatures are being updated on the Google Form here: https://forms.gle/T6CfEsqTapHKEq3C9